Neighbors
by RFK
Summary: CONCLUSION!! While battling a new warlock threat, Cole and the Charmed Ones meet his new neighbor. Set in alternate early Season 5. [Slight Chapter 2 revision]
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: NEIGHBORS  
AUTHOR: RFK  
SERIES: CHA  
CODE: All Characters  
RATING: [PG-13] Mild adult language   
SUMMARY: While battling a new warlock threat, Cole and the Charmed Ones meet his new neighbor. Set in alternate early Season 5.   
FEEDBACK: june_daley@rocketmail.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.  
DISCLAIMER: The Charmed Ones, Cole, Leo, Darryl and other characters related to Charmed belong to Spelling, Kern, Burge and WB. Dammit!  
  
  
"THE NEW NEIGHBOR"  
  
  
Several police cars converged at the intersection of Gough and Washington Streets, just at the edge of Lafayette Park. Unable to recover Phoebe's athame, the Charmed Ones had no choice but to merge in the growing crowd that surrounded a corpse. A corpse that had once been a warlock out to add a young woman to her list of victims.  
  
"Let's get out of here," Piper Halliwell murmured to her sisters. "Before our innocent sees us, again."  
  
Phoebe protested, "What about my knife? It's still in that warlock's body and it has my fingerprints on it!"  
  
"Well, we can't do anything about it, now! Maybe Darryl can help us recover it."  
  
The three young women linked arms and made their way toward the oblivion of the park's interior. Before they could disappear, a voice cried out, "Excuse me!" The sisters turned around. They spotted a red-haired, slender woman around Piper's age, in her late twenties or early thirties, approach them. The badge slung around her neck indicated she was a inspector with the San Francisco Police Department. She stopped next to the SUV. "Hi, my name is Inspector McNeill," she greeted, waving her badge in the air. "Do you mind answering a few questions?"  
  
"About what?" Phoebe demanded. She shot nervous glances at her two sisters. "We didn't see anything."  
  
Inspector McNeill gave them a cool smile. "Maybe. Maybe not. But we're questioning everyone around here, just to make sure. Now, if you'll just give me your name and number . . ."  
  
"Look Inspector," Paige interrupted. Although she was the youngest Halliwell and had only been a Charmed One for about a year, her job at a social services office gave her more experience in dealing with the police than her older sisters. "We just told you that we don't know what happened. What's the point in questioning us?"  
  
The red-haired inspector removed a pen and small notebook from her jacket pocket. "If you three had not made such a big deal out of trying to look unobtrusive, I wouldn't have bothered. Now," she flashed another cool smile, "may I have your name and address?"  
  
Piper felt tempted to freeze the area in order for her sisters to get away. However, too many people have spotted them talking to the red-haired woman. And she also suspected that their sudden disappearance would increase the relentless cop's suspicions.  
  
The Charmed Ones' shoulders sagged in defeat. Paige rolled her eyes and said, "My name is Paige Matthews. I live at 1312 Prescott Street."  
  
"Hmmm. That sounds familiar. And your phone number?" Inspector McNeill asked.  
  
With a sigh, Paige added, "Area code 415, 435-2783."  
  
"Thank you." The inspector scribbled the information on her notebook. Then she turned to Phoebe. "And your name?"  
  
Before Phoebe could speak, a familiar figure emerged from the crowd. The Halliwells sighed with relief. It was their close friend, Inspector Darryl Morris. "Hey, Olivia! What's going on?"  
  
Inspector McNeill smiled at her fellow officer. "Darryl! What brings you out here at this time of the day? I thought you went home, already."  
  
"Ditto. I'm surprised that you're here. As for me, I heard the call about the body and decided to help." Darryl glanced at the three sisters and added, "Also, I believe Captain McPherson is looking for you. I'll finish up here, for you."  
  
To Piper's frustration, Inspector McNeill shook her head. "There's no need. I'm almost finished, anyway. I just need a few names and addresses." Her green eyes focused upon the sisters.  
  
"You're gonna keep McPherson, waiting?"  
  
Slowly, Inspector McNeill turned to stare at Darryl. "It wouldn't be the first time," she replied. "Why are you making such a big deal, now?"  
  
Darryl took a deep breath. "It's nothing. Just trying to help."  
  
Suspicion gleamed in the inspector's green eyes. Which remained fixed upon Darryl's face. "Uh-huh." Then Inspector McNeill turned to Phoebe. "Now, you were about to give me your name?"  
  
Phoebe glanced at Darryl, who shrugged helplessly. "I'm Phoebe Halliwell," she said. "And I also live at 1312 Prescott Street. Same phone number."  
  
"Halliwell?" The inspector's eyes narrowed. Her stare made Piper feel very uncomfortable. And there suddenly seemed to be something familiar about her. Only Piper could not remember. McNeill continued, "I thought you looked familiar."  
  
Paige spoke up. "You must read Phoebe's column in the 'San Francisco_________'."  
  
"What column?" the inspector asked.  
  
Embarrassment caused Phoebe's face to turn pink. 'I uh, I write an advice column for the 'San Francisco ____________' You know, 'Dear Phoebe'?"  
  
Inspector McNeill shook her head. "Sorry. I've never read it. What I meant was that all of you remind me of someone I used to know. And she had the same last name. You don't, by any chance, know a Prue Halliwell? Are you her sisters?"  
  
Realization finally hit Piper. Now she recalled where she had seen the inspector before. "Wait a minute. Are you Olivia McNeill? From Fremont High? Class of '88?"  
  
A bright smile illuminated the inspector's face. "Yeah! And you are Prue Halliwell's sisters. You're Piper, right?"  
  
Piper nodded. "Yeah. And I believe you graduated during the same year, as Prue."  
  
"That's right. I haven't seen her in four years. Not since our ten-year reunion." The inspector's face sombered. "I heard what happened, last year. I'm sorry."  
  
Piper mumbled, "Thanks."  
  
"And you," Olivia McNeill pointed at Paige, "how did you end up with the Halliwells? Are you a cousin?"  
  
Paige murmured, "Half sister. I'm . . ." She glanced at Phoebe and Piper. "I'm their half-sister. Patty Halliwell is my mother."  
  
Inspector McNeill's eyes seemed to examine Paige, as if the latter was a specimen under a microscope. "Oh. I gather that you're all at that same house on Prescott Street. So, when can I come by to question you about tonight? Will tomorrow morning do?"  
  
It amazed Piper and her sisters that the inspector managed to return the subject back to the corpse found tonight. She repressed a sigh, while Paige replied, "Uh, sorry, but I'll be at work."  
  
"So will I," Phoebe added. "And I also have a personal appointment around noon."  
  
The unrelenting inspector added, "Okay, how about tomorrow afternoon? Around four o'clock? I'll drop by on my way home."  
  
Realizing that they might as well cooperate, the Halliwells agreed to the four o'clock appointment. Inspector McNeill murmured a quick "thanks" before she turned to Darryl. "Okay, Morris. You can now lead me to our infamous leader."  
  
Panic crept into Darryl's dark eyes. Piper understood. He had lied to divert his colleague's attention away from the Charmed Ones. "I . . . uh . . ."  
  
McNeill frowned. "What's wrong?"  
  
Darryl sighed. "Nothing. C'mon." The two inspectors walked away.  
  
Once the pair was out of earshot, Paige let out a big sigh. "Whew! I never met anyone so stubborn in my life! I hope we don't have any further trouble with her." She said to Piper, "She knew Prue in high school? Were they friends?"  
  
"Noooo," Piper replied sarcastically. "I remember all of Prue's friends, and she wasn't one."  
  
"You think she's lied about knowing Prue?"  
  
Piper shook her head. "No, she and Prue knew each other. In fact, I even remember Olivia McNeill. Like Prue, she was popular in high school. But they had some kind of rivalry going on. And they didn't like each other. At all."  
  
A gasp left Phoebe's mouth. "Oh! Now, I remember! Prue used to bitch about this girl, all the time! About how difficult she was. And what was that she said? 'Morally ambiguous' if I remember correctly. And to think she became a cop. Judging from what I've seen of the good inspector, I'd say that Prue had met her match."  
  
"I hope she doesn't prove to be difficult with us," Paige responded. "I have this feeling that she knows something about us. And after Agent Jackman, I don't want to deal with another nosy cop."  
  
Phoebe shot back, "Well, we might have to." Her sisters responded with confused stares. "Remember my . . ." Phoebe lowered her voice, ". . . my knife? It's still stuck in the chest of that warlock. What are we going to do?"  
  
Piper sighed. "It's too late, now. Maybe we can call Darryl and ask him to get it for us."  
  
The three sisters resumed their walk toward the interior of the park. Piper said to Phoebe, "You said something to Olivia McNeill about a personal appointment. Does that mean . . .?  
  
Phoebe interrupted with a sigh. "Yeah. Cole has finally agreed to give me a divorce."  
  
"I'm sorry, Pheebs." Piper gave her sister a sad smile.  
  
A grunt came from Paige. "What's to be sorry, about? You should be relieved. We all should. Now that Phoebe will be free."  
  
"Paige!"  
  
Phoebe quietly added, "She's right, Piper. I am relieved. I guess I'll always love Cole. But we'll never be happy, together. And frankly, I'm just glad that he's finally realized that."  
  
* * * *   
  
The newly divorced couple quietly strode out of the judge's private chamber. Cole Turner quickly made his way toward the elevator. A place where he could disappear in privacy.  
  
"Cole!" His now ex-wife's voice stopped Cole in his tracks. "Cole, wait up!" A moment later, Phoebe was by his side. "I just wanted to know where you're going."  
  
Coolly, the half-demon regarded the petite woman by his side. "Why? To make sure that I'll be gone for good?"  
  
"Cole!"  
  
"Don't worry, Phoebe. I won't pop up to wreck . . . vengeance upon you. If that's what you're worried about," Cole retorted sarcastically.  
  
Phoebe shot back, "I wasn't worried about that!"  
  
"Oh? I mean, you did have Paige make a potion to vanquish me. Using the blood from the letter opener you stabbed me with." A bitter laugh escaped Cole's mouth. "I better your sisters are worried. Especially Paige."  
  
Anger flared in the Charmed One's dark eyes. "Dammit Cole! What did you expect? It's hard for any of us to forget . . ." Phoebe paused and glanced around to make sure there were no unwelcoming ears. Cole rolled his eyes in exasperation and continued toward the elevator. "Cole!"  
  
The pair entered the elevator. Unable to keep his feelings contained, Cole burst out in resentment. "Forget what, Phoebe? That I was the Source? Impregnated you with some spawn of evil? Or that I almost killed the Charmed Ones? I thought you knew that the Source's essence had taken over my body!"  
  
"This isn't about you becoming the Source anymore," Phoebe protested.  
  
Cole allowed the contempt he felt to reach his eyes. Phoebe shrank back. "Isn't it? Then tell me this. Why is it that when one of you becomes possessed by evil, the others are so willing to understand and forgive. I bet if Leo became evil against his will, you'd move heaven and earth to help him. And forgive him within a blink of an eye." His voice became even more caustic. "But I guess that same privilege isn't extended to the former Belthazor. No matter how many times I've saved your asses."  
  
"If you want our trust, why can't you give up your powers?" Accusation tinged Phoebe's voice. "Or maybe you like being evil."  
  
A hopeless anger settled over Cole. He began to wonder if he had fell in love with a woman incapable of understanding him. "Oh, c'mon Phoebe! This isn't about my new powers and you know it! It's not my powers you're afraid of. It's your own inner evil. You're still afraid that being around me will bring it out. That the next time you become evil because of me, it'll happen without the benefit of the Seer's potions."  
  
"That's not true!" Phoebe shot back.   
  
Cole sighed. "Really? Well let me tell you this. Everyone has to deal with their own inner evil, Phoebe. You, me, your sisters, Leo . . . everyone. It's taken me a while, but now I understand. So, don't use me as a scapegoat for your own personal problems! Now if you'll excuse me, I have a life to lead." He blurred away before Phoebe could respond.  
  
* * * *   
  
Four o'clock finally arrived. Olivia McNeill climbed out of her dark-blue BMW convertible and closed the door. She glanced at the salmon-colored house - the famous Halliwell Manor - and started toward the staircase.  
  
Olivia recalled that she had not seen the interior of the Halliwell home since she was ten years old. It had been for Prue Halliwell's eleventh birthday party. Olivia also remembered that she and Prue never liked each other. But since their grandmothers had been old friends, Olivia ended up receiving an invitation to the party.  
  
A sigh left the redhead's mouth and she began her ascent up the steep staircase. Once she reached the top, she rang the doorbell. Seconds passed before Phoebe Halliwell opened the door. She flashed a smile at the younger woman. "Hi! Remember me? Inspector McNeill?"  
  
The half-wan smile on Phoebe's face told Olivia that Prue's younger sister was not particularly happy to see her. But the older woman was allowed inside the manor.  
  
The manor's interior appealed to Olivia very much. Very old-fashioned in a Victorian style, yet very comfortable. And warm. Much like the McNeill home on ______________ Street. "Nice place," Olivia murmured.  
  
Phoebe ignored the comment and escorted her to a bright room with open windows. The Sun Room, according to Phoebe. There, Olivia found the other two sisters waiting for them. All three looked as if they were anticipating a battle. She could not help but smile at the image.  
  
"Okay Inspector," Phoebe said, "we're all here. What exactly did you want to question us about?"  
  
Olivia pulled a plastic bag from her purse. Inside was a deadly-looking athame. "I believe this belongs to you." Phoebe's face turned pale.  
  
"Where did you get . . ." Piper immediately broke off. A moment passed and she took a deep breath. "I mean, what makes you think that athame belongs to us?"  
  
"How did you know this was an athame?" Olivia quietly asked. "Most people usually mistake it for a knife or a dagger."  
  
Piper opened her mouth. Then she closed it, looking quite sheepish. Phoebe slapped Piper's shoulder, while the third sister seared the oldest with a caustic glare.  
  
Olivia continued, "Okay, ladies. You might as well tell the truth. Which one of you used this athame on our corpse, last night?"  
  
"What makes you think one of us killed us?" Paige demanded. Her body practically vibrated with defiance.  
  
It was time, Olivia decided, to end this farce. "Why else would the Charmed Ones and a dead warlock be at Lafayette Park in the evening . . . around the same time?"  
  
Loud gasps emitted from the three sisters. Olivia had to admit that she enjoyed delivering the bombshell.  
  
Paige was the first to recover. "Look Inspector, we don't know what you're talking about. Warlocks and Charmed Ones? This all sounds . . ."  
  
"Ridiculous. Right!" Olivia heaved an impatient sigh. "Ladies, it's no use lying. I know you're witches. I know you're the Charmed Ones. Three sisters named Halliwell? Well, two and a Matthews." She directed the last sentence at Paige. "You obviously know what an athame looks like, and the fingerprints on the weapon belongs to one Phoebe Halliwell." Olivia now directed her gaze at the middle sister.  
  
A long pause followed. The sisters exchanged uneasy glances. Phoebe asked, "What do you want, Inspector? You plan to blackmail us?"  
  
"No. To give you this." Olivia tossed the bag at Phoebe. "The next time you vanquish someone with that thing in a public place, please remember not to leave it behind."  
  
Suspicion glimmered in Paige's dark eyes. "Wait. I don't get it. You know all about warlocks?"  
  
"And demons," Olivia added. "And witches. I happened to one of the latter."  
  
"How do we know you're telling the truth?"  
  
Instead of answering, Olivia gazed at the athame inside the bag. A moment later, it flew out of Phoebe's hand and into hers. The Charmed Ones' eyes grew wide with shock. "My power. Telekinesis."  
  
"Just like Prue's," Piper murmured.  
  
Olivia's ears perked. "Prue also had telekinesis?"  
  
Before Phoebe could answer, Paige continued, "How do we know you're a witch? You could also be a warlock. Or a demon."  
  
Olivia sighed. Suspicious little thing. The youngest Halliwell or Matthews strongly reminded her of Prue. "Okay, you want proof. Fine." She took a deep breath and cried, "Leo! LEE-OO!"  
  
Seconds later, a cluster of blue lights materialized into the form of Olivia's whitelighter, Leo Wyatt. The fair-haired man stared at her. And eventually, the Halliwells. He wore one of his usual expressions - bewilderment. "Olivia? What are you . . . oh!"  
  
Piper looked downright astonished. "Leo! Are you her whitelighter?" Her eyes pierced his. "Well?"  
  
Leo shrugged. "I . . . guess you've all met."  
  
Olivia added, "He's the whitelighter for me and my two brothers, Bruce and Harry. He's been our whitelighter for the past fifteen or sixteen years."  
  
"Leo?"  
  
The whitelighter nodded, "It's true. In fact, your grandmother and Olivia's grandmother were old friends."  
  
Olivia added, "Penny Halliwell was also my dad's godmother."  
  
"So, why don't we remember you?" Phoebe said. "We're familiar with all of Grams' old friends."  
  
"Do you know Elise McNeill? She's my grandmother."  
  
Piper nodded. "Okay, I remember her. She and Grams used to exchange recipes a lot. Remember Phoebe? Grams once told us that she had hoped that Mom would marry Mrs. McNeill's son."  
  
"Jack McNeill," Olivia added. Then she smiled. "Now that we're all reacquainted, why don't you pay Gran a visit? She hasn't seen any of you since your grandmother's funeral and I'm sure that she'll love to see you, again."  
  
Olivia had the uncomfortable feeling that her suggestion had not gone well with the Halliwells. Especially with Piper and Phoebe. Olivia had heard rumors of the Charmed Ones' anonymity, but this was ridiculous! She knew that several witches in the San Francisco area had met the Halliwells over the past four years. And yet, not one witch could claim striking a close friendship with the sisters. Nor have any of the Halliwells ever been seen at a Wiccan festival or gathering. Olivia began to wonder if they were simply insular.  
  
"Is there something wrong?" she asked after a long pause.  
  
Piper finally answered. "No. Uh . . . we . . . we'll come by and see her." She paused. "Soon."  
  
"Good." Olivia whipped out her notebook and pen. She scribbled her parents' telephone on a piece of paper. "This is my parents' phone number. Gran lives with them. I'll tell her to expect a call from you." Olivia smiled and handed the slip of paper to Piper. "Hope to hear from you. Soon." Just as she started to turn away, she paused. "Oh! One more thing."  
  
Piper stared at the slip of paper in her hand. "Yeah?"  
  
"About that warlock you had vanquished last night?" The Halliwells became fully alert, as Olivia continued, "His name is Simon Crozat. And according to my Book of Shadows, he's part of the powerful Crozat Coven. My guess is they're making an attempt to rule the Underworld, by killing as many witches as possible. To get new powers." She paused dramatically. "Including the powers of the Charmed Ones."  
  
Paige replied with great confidence, "Thanks for the warning, but I'm sure that we'll be able to deal with them. After all, we did vanquish the Source. Three times." She ended with a small laugh that her sisters failed to join.  
  
Olivia smiled politely at the youngest sister. "Well, I'm sure you're more than capable of taking care of a bunch of warlocks. Just be careful, okay?" She stuffed her notebook into her purse. "Well, I guess that's it. And don't forget to call my grandmother. She'll be expecting to hear from you. Bye." She turned to walk away.  
  
A figure joined Olivia at her side. Leo. "I'll walk you to the door," he said.  
  
The pair made their way to the front door. "Talk about an interesting bunch," Olivia declared. "Not exactly the friendly types, are they?"  
  
Leo sighed. "It's not that. Being the Charmed Ones, they have to be very careful. They do attract a lot of demonic activity, after all."  
  
"Oh come on, Leo! We all do!" Olivia shot back. "And like them, we all have to worry about exposure."  
  
"Olivia, they're still pretty new at being witches. Only four years! So you can understand why they're not exactly . . . social with other witches, can you? They have this big fear of being exposed. Especially after what happened to Prue."  
  
Olivia more than understood. She had been shocked by the news of Prue Halliwell's death. And the real circumstances that surrounded it. Leo had told the McNeills about the time loop - especially after Olivia's mother, Gweneth McNeill, plied him with a sumptuous gourmet lunch.  
  
"I guess you're right." Olivia sighed.  
  
Leo gave her a sharp glance. "Concerned about this new warlock threat?"  
  
That and my new apartment," Olivia replied. The redhead had just moved into a new apartment. According to one of the neighbors, she had moved into the apartment just below a particularly difficult tenant. "Mrs. DiCicco told me that the man is not exactly friendly. And that he has a bad habit of complaining about any noise from below him. I've already received one complaint from the building manager. You can imagine how Mr. Hormone and I will get along in the future. And the thing is my new apartment is so gorgeous!"  
  
A sympathetic smile graced Leo's lips. "It's only for one or two days. Until you finally get settled in. Maybe you'll become friends."  
  
"Maybe." Olivia flashed a bright smile at the whitelighter, as they approached the front door. "According to Mrs. Diccco, he's a walking male hormone."  
  
Leo smiled back. "He should be right up your alley."  
  
"You know me too well."  
  
  
END OF PART ONE 


	2. Chapter 2

TITLE: NEIGHBORS  
AUTHOR: RFK  
SERIES: CHA  
CODE: All Characters  
RATING: [PG] Mild adult language   
SUMMARY: While battling a new warlock threat, Cole and the Charmed Ones meet his new neighbor. Set in alternate early Season 5.   
FEEDBACK: june_daley@rocketmail.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.  
DISCLAIMER: The Charmed Ones, Cole, Leo, Darryl and other characters related to Charmed belong to Spelling, Kern, Burge and WB. Dammit!  
  
  
"THE NEW NEIGHBOR" - Part 2  
  
  
Cole stood in front of one of the large windows that overlooked San Francisco Bay, from his penthouse. Today had been something of an emotional roller coaster for him. First of all, the firm had just given him a new assignment, and a prestigious one, at that. It involved a lawsuit filed by one of the firm's clients, against a rival company, over the purchase of some valuable real estate in Napa Valley. Despite his "mysterious" disappearance last year, the law firm that he worked for, seemed willingly to keep him on their payroll. And allow him to maintain the plush penthouse and black Porsche.  
  
But despite keeping his job, Cole had lost something he considered a lot more valuable. Namely his wife. A long sigh escaped from his mouth. Cole flung himself on the sofa. Perhaps a divorce had been the best thing for him and Phoebe. After all, he had been possessed by the Source at the time of the wedding. When one thought about it, Phoebe had been married to the Source in all but name.  
  
Thoughts of the former evil entity brought forth the anger and resentment that Cole had been harboring for the past nine months. And not just toward the Source. Why couldn't Phoebe understand that she had not been the only one who had suffered? Or that he was no more responsible for what happened than she? Okay, he could kick himself for allowing the Seer to trick him into using the Hollow. But he had done so to save the Charmed Ones.  
  
And why could Phoebe and her sisters understand and forgive if one of them ended up possessed by evil? But for some reason, they could not extend him the same regard. Was it too much for them to . . .  
  
A faint noise or vibration from beneath his feet interrupted Cole's bitter musings. Music. Great! He had to deal with another noisy neighbor for the second time since his return to the penthouse. And from the same damn apartment! Keeping his irritation in check, Cole left the penthouse to pay his new neighbor a visit.  
  
He found himself standing in front of a door marked 716. Cole knocked. Seconds later, music blasted from the apartment's interior. And a figure appeared in the doorway. And immediately took Cole's breath away. She stood somewhere at 5'6" or 5'7" tall. Her stylishly cut hair was red - naturally red. Freckles sprinkled across the bridge of her nose and on certain parts of her delicate, yet tanned face. She stared at him with eyes green as emeralds. "Hi," she greeted in a slightly husky voice. "May I help you?"  
  
A moment or two passed, while Cole stared at his new neighbor. He finally rediscovered his tongue and replied, "Uh . . . I . . ." Cole shook his head. "Sorry. Uh look, I'm your new neighbor. I live upstairs in the penthouse."  
  
"Well, hello new neighbor," she added, sticking out her hand. Cole took the hand and shook it. "My name is Olivia McNeill. Call me Olivia. What's yours?"  
  
Again, Cole hesitated. "Oh, uh Cole. Cole Turner."  
  
"Hi, Cole Turner." Olivia paused and frowned. "Say, have we met before? Your name sounds familiar."  
  
Suspicion clouded Cole's thoughts momentarily. How could she have known . . .?  
  
"Hey! Cole?" Olivia's voice cut into his thoughts. "Um, is there a reason why you're on my doorstep?"  
  
Cole immediately formed a stern expression. "Yeah. Look, I'm sorry to do this, but it's about your music. It's a little too loud."  
  
A touch of frost glazed over the neighbor's green eyes. "Too loud? You've got to be kidding! I live 'below' you. And I'm keeping the music as low as possible."  
  
"Obviously it's not low enough. I can hear it. Loud and clear."  
  
Her voice tinged with sarcasm, Olivia shot back, "Considering that you're standing outside my apartment, is it any wonder you can hear it?"  
  
It took all of Cole's self-control not to zap the irritating woman with a demonic bolt. "I can also hear it from my penthouse. Now, will you turn that damn music down?"  
  
"You can hear it from . . . Okay, I've got to check this out, myself." Taking Cole by surprise, Olivia brushed past him and marched toward the elevator.  
  
The half-demon quickly followed her. "Where are you going?" he demanded.  
  
"To your penthouse. I want to see just how loud my music is." The pair entered the elevator. They waited in silence as they were conveyed to Cole's penthouse. Once outside his door, a pair of keys appeared in Cole's hand, hidden behind his back. He had blurred to Olivia's apartment - without bothering to collect his keys.  
  
Once inside the penthouse, Cole cocked his ear. Yep, he heard music all right. Some tune from the mid-1970s. His neighbor must be one of those Oldies fans.  
  
The redhead whirled on Cole, her eyes flashing accusingly. "I don't hear anything. I feel a little vibration, but I don't hear any music."  
  
"That might be vibration to you," Cole protested, "but I hear music. And I want you to turn it down."  
  
Green eyes stared at him with disbelief. "What are you? From Krypton or something? You've got super hearing?" Cole glared at Olivia. Who returned his glare with equal heat. Then she let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes. "All right! I'll use my earphones, if it will get you off my back. Jeez!"  
  
"Thank you," Cole said politely.  
  
"You know, for a walking male hormone, you're pretty damn touchy! Good night!" Olivia glared at him one last time and stomped out of the penthouse. Cole allowed himself a triumphant smile. Mission accomplished. And he managed to do it without incinerating anyone. Phoebe would have been proud.  
  
* * * *   
  
The thump woke Cole from an uneasy sleep. He shot up into a sitting position. Did he just hear . . .? Another thump followed, along with a cry. What the hell was that? Whatever it was, it seemed to be coming from the apartment below. Olivia McNeill's apartment. Strange.  
  
Maybe his new neighbor had invited a boyfriend to spend the night. And the couple was engaged in some kind of sexual S&M thing. Cole began to lower himself back on the bed, when instinct - a gut feeling - took over him. He snapped back into a sitting position. Wait a minute. He felt something. An evil presence. Not demonic, but . . . Cole took a deep breath. A warlock? What was a warlock doing in the apartment below?  
  
Twenty-one months of helping the Charmed Ones fight evil took hold of Cole. Without thinking, he climbed out of bed and blurred out of sight. A second later, he appeared in his new neighbor's living room. The sight that greeted his eyes took him completely by surprise.  
  
A suited man with long dark brown hair and thin features hung in the air, literally gasping for air. And right below him stood Olivia McNeill, clad in a thin T-shirt and gym pants. Judging by her stance and the manner in which her arm flung outward, she seemed to be responsible for the man's present position. In other words, she was either another warlock. Or a witch.  
  
"What the hell?" Cole cried out.  
  
Her attention diverted by Cole's outburst, Olivia stared at him and gasped. She dropped her arm and the man fell to the floor with a thump. "Cole!" Olivia's face grew pale, despite the tan. "What are you . . .?"  
  
"Look out!"  
  
Cole's warning came to late. The man . . . or one should say, warlock flung out his hand and sent Olivia crashing against the wall with a cry on her lips. Her head made contact with the edge of a picture frame. Before the warlock could inflict further damage, Cole seared him with a fireball. Seconds later, the warlock exploded into oblivion.  
  
A groan escaped Olivia's mouth. She struggled to rise to her feet. And failed. Cole stepped forward to offer his assistance. "Oh God!" she moaned. "What happened?"  
  
Cole grabbed her hands and gently forced Olivia to her feet. "I believe you were attacked by a . . . by a warlock, I think."  
  
"Warlock?" Olivia's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "How do you know about . . . Hey! You vanquished him!"  
  
Cole gave his shoulders a quick shrug. "Well, yeah."  
  
"Wait a minute!" The suspicion in Olivia's green eyes deepened. "What are you a witch, or something? Or are you something else? I've never heard of a witch who appears and disappears like that." She now expressed fear. "What are you?"  
  
Feeling a mixture of dread and déjà vu, Cole heaved a sigh. So much for that new life. "All right, I might as well tell you that I'm a demon. Well, half-demon." He paused. "Then again, I really don't . . . it's a long story."  
  
Olivia winced as she moved her neck. Cole grabbed hold of her shoulders and forced her to turn around, so he could examine her. A thin red line of blood trickled from the back of her head and down her neck. "This is bad," he murmured. "Maybe you should call your whitelighter."  
  
Green eyes radiated confusion. Along with lingering remnants of suspicion. "I . . . how do I . . .?"  
  
"Look, if I wanted you dead, I would have killed you by now." Cole led Olivia to her sofa. "You really need to call your whitelighter. The bleeding is getting worse."  
  
Still staring at her savior, Olivia mumbled, "Yeah, sure. Uh, Leo? LEO!"  
  
Now it was Cole's turn to look surprised. A familiar cluster of blue lights materialized. Leo. Cole's eyes expressed shock at the sight of his bro . . . his former brother-in-law. "Leo?"  
  
"Cole?" The whitelighter was dressed in a gray T-shirt and pajama bottoms. He looked equally stunned. "What . . .?" His eyes focused on the groggy-looking woman who sat next to Cole. Shock gave way to concern. "Olivia! What happened to her?"  
  
Cole explained how Olivia had been attacked by a warlock. "I think she took a serious blow to the back of her head."  
  
Leo immediately sat on the other side of the red-haired witch. He examined her head, placed his hand over the wound and healed it. "There," he said, "she should be fine."  
  
Green eyes blinked momentarily, before they settled upon the whitelighter. "Leo! Thanks. I . . ." She touched the spot of her former wound. "Huh. No blood. Nice job."  
  
However, Leo did not seem to be listening. Instead, he regarded Cole with wary eyes. "Cole! What are you doing here?"  
  
"He's the new neighbor I had told you about," Olivia answered, instead. "But I am curious to know how you two met."  
  
Leo took a deep breath. "He's my former brother-in-law."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Cole grumbled, "His ex-brother-in-law. Haven't you ever heard of Belthazor?"  
  
Olivia's eyes grew round. Realization made them seem even greener. "Oh! Of course! I thought your name seemed familiar! You're the half-demon who . . ." Her face fell into a frown. "Did you say ex-brother-in-law?"  
  
Cole glanced away, suppressing the anger that had ignited within him. He replied coolly, "Yeah, I did. Pho . . . I've been divorced since 9:45 this morning."  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." An embarrassing pause filled the room. Olivia broke the silence, as she cleared her throat. "Anyway, thanks for coming to my rescue."  
  
Surprise reverberated in Leo's voice. "Cole saved you?" The moment after the words came out of his mouth, Cole glared at him. "Sorry. Of course you did. Uh . . ."  
  
"Why don't you go home, Leo? I'm fine and you're wife, Whats-her-name, must be wondering where you are." Olivia patted the whitelighter's arm and stood up. "Meanwhile, my neighbor and I will get to know each other." She gave Cole a bright smile.  
  
Which Cole responded with a fleeting one of his own. He glanced at the clock on the mantle above the empty fireplace. Twelve thirty-four. "I'd like to stay and chat," he said politely, "but I have work, tomorrow. And I really need to get some sleep."  
  
Disappointment flickered in her eyes. "Oh." Cole had to admit that he felt a similar pang. Although he found Olivia McNeill fascinating, the last thing he wanted was involvement with another woman. Especially another witch. Besides, he could not see himself falling in love with anyone. Not after Phoebe.  
  
"Uh, if you'll excuse me, I should be going." Cole nodded at the whitelighter. "Leo. Miss McNeill." Then he blurred out of his neighbor's apartment, with the memory of her face imprinted in his mind.  
  
  
END OF PART 2 


	3. Chapter 3

TITLE: NEIGHBORS  
AUTHOR: RFK  
SERIES: CHA  
CODE: All Characters  
RATING: [PG] Mild adult language   
SUMMARY: While battling a new warlock threat, Cole and the Charmed Ones meet his new neighbor. Set in alternate early Season 5.   
FEEDBACK: june_daley@rocketmail.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.  
DISCLAIMER: The Charmed Ones, Cole, Leo, Darryl and other characters related to Charmed belong to Spelling, Kern, Burge and WB. Dammit!  
  
  
"THE NEW NEIGHBOR" - Part 3  
  
  
As usual, Leo was the first member of the Halliwell household to reach the breakfast table. All of the activity from last night, along with the orbing and healing had whetted his appetite for a large morning meal.  
  
His wife emerged from the kitchen, carrying a platter of scrambled eggs and bacon. She placed it on the dining table. "Here we go. Now if only Phoebe and Paige would get their butts downstairs."  
  
"Our butts are right here," Paige's voice announced gaily. She and Phoebe slid into empty chairs, opposite Leo. "Oooo! This looks nice. I haven't had a breakfast like this in ages."  
  
Piper sat in the empty chair next to Leo. "That's because you've never hung around long enough to enjoy one, when you were working. Phoebe?" She glanced at the middle sister. "Can you pass me the butter?"  
  
A somewhat subdued Phoebe passed the small bowl of butter to her older sister. Leo frowned. He understood her bleak mood. Which had been around ever since Cole agreed to give her the divorce. Both Piper and Paige expressed bafflement over Phoebe's attitude. After all, she had longed for a divorce from Cole for the past few months. Maybe she wanted the divorce. But Leo suspected that some inner core of Phoebe's still longed to be with her ex-husband.  
  
"By the way," Piper added, "I got a call about an hour ago. From Olivia McNeill's grandmother. It seems she has invited us over for Sunday brunch.  
  
Biting into a slice of toast, Paige frowned. She chewed on her food and swallowed it. "Did you accept? I thought we had decided to be discreet. Even with other witches."  
  
Piper heaved a sigh. "We might as well accept. After all, Elise McNeill was one of Grams' closest friends. Old childhood friends, as a matter of fact."  
  
"I'm surprised that none of you recognized Olivia McNeill, the other night," Paige said between bites.  
  
To Leo's surprise, Phoebe spoke up. "Piper and I never really knew her. At least I didn't. Piper may have remembered her from high school."  
  
"I remembered her. Only a little." Piper reached for another slice of toast. "Prue knew her best. They had graduated together, after all. Only . . ."  
  
Leo asked, "Only what?"  
  
Piper continued, "Well, they didn't like each other, very much. Olivia McNeill had this Auntie Mame persona that rubbed Prue the wrong way. However, I heard that she and Andy Trudeau were good friends. Which irritated Prue even further. I'll have to ask Darryl about her."  
  
"Auntie Mame, huh?" Leo chuckled. "That's Olivia, all right. She's very unorthodox. In fact, the entire McNeill family is."  
  
"And you told them all about us," Piper added accusingly.  
  
Sensing trouble, Leo immediately rose to his defenses. "C'mon Piper! You've met Olivia. She has a real talent for interrogation. It's a wonder she doesn't have psychic abilities." He paused. "Although her younger brother does."  
  
"Her younger brother?"  
  
Leo added, "Harry. Harry McNeill. He's a telepath. And her older brother, Bruce, has the power of transfiguration. Like his dad."  
  
A slight frown appeared on Piper's face. "Bruce?" Then clarification lit up her eyes. "Of course! Bruce McNeill! He's the sous chef at one of San Francisco's top restaurants, the Golden Horn. And it's owned by his mother, Gweneth . . ."  
  
"Gweneth McNeill," Leo finished. "She's a very good cook."  
  
Piper rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding? She's one of the finest chefs around. And Bruce, I understand, is developing a similar reputation. Wow!"  
  
"So, culinary talents aside, just how strong are the McNeills?" Phoebe asked.  
  
Leo stared at her. Phoebe did not seem particularly interested in Piper's rhapsody over the McNeills' profession. However, she did look rather miserable. So miserable, in fact that it nearly broke Leo's heart. Come to think of it, Cole had seemed rather subdued, last night. Speaking of which . . .  
  
"Leo?" Piper's voice cut into his consciousness. "Phoebe asked how strong were the McNeills."  
  
He automatically replied, "Oh. Very strong. All of you are slightly stronger. And I do mean slightly." The sisters looked impressed. Leo added, "By the way, Olivia had a visit from a warlock, last night."  
  
The Charmed Ones immediately became alert. "Is she all right?" Paige asked, looking concerned.  
  
Leo nodded. "Yeah. After I had healed her."  
  
"She must have been hurt pretty badly," Phoebe commented. "It's a miracle that she was able to vanquish the warlock. Or did she?"  
  
Leo paused. He found it difficult to say these next words. But the Halliwells, especially Phoebe, deserved the truth. "Uh, no she didn't."  
  
Phoebe frowned. "What do you mean? The warlock got away?"  
  
Taking a deep breath, Leo continued, "It was Cole who saved her. He vanquished the warlock."  
  
While Piper and Paige reacted with consternation and surprise, Phoebe's face turned pale. "Cole vanquished the warlock?" Paige demanded. "What was he doing there? Don't tell me that he's still trying to prove how 'good' he is."  
  
"He was saving Olivia's life," Leo replied calmly. "And she lives in the apartment below the penthouse."  
  
Phoebe took a deep breath. "I don't recall her living in the building when . . ." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "When Cole and I lived there."  
  
"Olivia had just moved into the building, on Tuesday."  
  
Silence enveloped the breakfast table. Paige, Leo noticed, shot sympathetic glances at Phoebe. Who now looked even paler. Meanwhile, Piper began picking at the food on her plate. Time to lighten the mood. "So," Leo continued with false joviality, "do you all still plan to visit Elise McNeill?"  
  
The three sisters stared at him. Leo had a pretty good idea what their answer would be.  
  
* * * *   
  
  
Olivia strode along the corridor of the police station's second floor. As she passed the Men's Room, a familiar voice cried out her name. She halted in her tracks.  
  
"Olivia, wait up!" Darryl Morris caught up with his redheaded colleague. The pair eventually continued along the corridor. "So," the tall man asked, "how are you? I've tried to get in touch with you, yesterday, but you were away from the station, most of the day."  
  
The nervous edge in Darryl's voice caught Olivia's attention. She had a pretty good idea why he seemed on the edge. "How am I?" Olivia gave her companion a pointed stare. "What are we? Mere acquaintances? Why do you sound so formal? Or is there something you want?"  
  
"What makes you . . .?" Darryl began.  
  
"Darryl! Enough of the BS, please!"  
  
The tall man sighed. "All right. I just wanted to know if you got anything new on that body found in Lafayette Park, the day before yesterday."  
  
Olivia paused in the middle of the corridor and stared at her colleague. Then she grabbed his arm and dragged him toward an alcove where a candy machine stood. "Okay, Darryl. I have a question for you. How long have you known that the Halliwells were witches?"  
  
Shock, denial and wariness flashed in Darryl's dark eyes in rapid succession. "What are you . . .?"  
  
"Darryl? Please don't tell me otherwise. I know they are the Charmed Ones. Hell, I knew that Prue was a witch before she did. And you were acting pretty odd that night at Lafayette Park. Besides, the Halliwells' grandmother and my grandmother were old friends."  
  
Suspicion gleaned in Darryl's eyes. "Wait a minute. Does that mean you're a . . . witch?"  
  
Olivia nodded. "Been one since the day I was born."  
  
Darryl shook his head in disbelief and sighed. "Oh God! There are more of you." Then he added, "Did Andy ever knew about you?"  
  
"No." Olivia paused. "How long did he knew the truth about Prue and her sisters?"  
  
A touch of sadness briefly dimmed Darryl's expression. "Not long. About a month or two before he was killed. I learned the truth about six or seven months later."  
  
"Oh. May I ask you one last question?"  
  
Darryl replied, "Ask away."  
  
Olivia hesitated. Unable to keep her new neighbor out of her mind, she asked, "Do you know Cole Turner? I believe he was . . ."  
  
"Yeah, I know him. He's Phoebe Halliwell's husband. Well, ex-husband." Darryl eyed her warily. "Why? Have you met him? Has he caused any trouble?"  
  
Olivia shook her head. "No. He's been a perfect gentleman. In fact . . . he's a neighbor of mine. I live right below him. And he saved me from a warlock, last night."  
  
"I don't want to hear anymore about it." Darryl waved one hand in the air.  
  
A sigh left Olivia's mouth. "Okay. I didn't realize that the subject of Mr. Turner was disturbing to you."  
  
Indignation flashed in Darryl's eyes. "He's more than disturbing. He's dangerous. Did you know that he's a demon? Or that over half a year ago, he became the leader of the Underworld?"  
  
"That would be the Source," Olivia added.  
  
"Well, he eventually got Phoebe pregnant with some kind of spawn of evil and made her evil, as well. That man - if you want to call him one - put the Halliwells through a lot of hell. They vanquished him," Darryl continued, "but unfortunately, he came back from the dead. And he tried to win Phoebe back by trying to some kind of Good Samaritan."  
  
Olivia commented dryly, "Didn't work, huh?"  
  
Darryl shook his head. "No, thank God. Phoebe made it clear that it was hopeless. Their divorce became final, yesterday."  
  
"Hmmm." Olivia walked away from the machine.  
  
Close on her heels, Darryl continued, "Look, I guess you don't think he's all that bad, considering that he saved your life. But I wouldn't put it past Cole that he did it to impress Phoebe."  
  
"Gee! Thanks!"  
  
Darryl grabbed her arm. "Olivia, all I'm trying to say is be careful. I mean the man is a half-demon. At least I think he is. He has caused a lot of misery. Especially to people I care about. And I don't want you to be next on his list."  
  
Olivia gave Darryl a reassuring smile. "I assure you Darryl, you have nothing to worry about."  
  
* * * *   
  
The intercom on Cole's desk buzzed. His secretary's voice announced, "Mr. Turner, you have a call on Line 3. It's Mrs. . . uh, Miss Halliwell." A pause followed. "Your wife."  
  
From behind his desk, Cole froze. Phoebe. What did she want, now that the divorce papers had been signed? Cole - rather reluctantly - picked up the telephone receiver. "Hello?" he greeted. "Phoebe?"  
  
Her words came out in a breathless rush. "Cole? What's going on? Leo just told us what happened last night, with Olivia McNeill. What were you doing in her apartment?"  
  
Resentment and a little anger sparked within Cole. He did not care for the accusatory tone in Phoebe's voice. After taking a few deep breaths, he calmed down. "I was saving her ass from a warlock. Or did Leo forget to add that?" Damn! He had not meant to sound so sarcastic or bitter.  
  
A pause followed before Phoebe replied, "No, he didn't. I'm just curious as to why a . . . why you would bother to save her. You're not exactly in the habit of saving strangers on your own. What were you trying to do? Impress me? It's too late for that."  
  
"I wasn't trying to . . ." Once again, Cole felt the anger within. He could not believe this! All he did was try to save some woman he barely knew and now, he was being accused of some ulterior motive. Granted, he had been guilty of this in the past. But not now. Not when it was too late. "Dammit Phoebe!" he shot back. "Don't you think it's a little late for me to impress you? All I did was try to save her! It was . . . I don't know. I guess after helping you and your sisters for over a year, I guess I've developed a habit of saving innocents. Hell, I didn't even know that Leo was her whitelighter!"  
  
Silence greeted Cole's ears. Then he heard Phoebe take a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Cole. It's just . . . well, Leo's news took me by surprise. And I thought . . ."  
  
"Yeah, you've made it pretty clear on what you thought," Cole interjected. Then he silently muttered an oath. He had not meant to sound so harsh. Or did he?  
  
"Cole . . ."  
  
It became Cole's turn to sigh. "Look, Phoebe, let's just end this conversation before it turns into a screaming match."  
  
One last pause followed. "Fine," Phoebe replied in a choked voice.  
  
Struggling to control his own swelling emotions, Cole hesitated. Another silent moment passed before he continued, "Phoebe, I'm sor . . ."  
  
"Bye Cole. Maybe I'll see you around." Phoebe hung up.  
  
Cole slowly replaced the receiver on the telephone. He swerved his chair around, and found himself facing the large window that overlooked San Francisco. While he brooded.  
  
* * * *   
  
Later that evening, Olivia stood inside her kitchen, putting the final touches on a dish she had just prepared. A dessert called Floating Island. Her "thank you" offering to her new neighbor, for saving her life.  
  
Olivia picked up the dish, left her apartment and strode quickly toward the elevator. Once inside, she shifted the dish to one arm and punched the button for the penthouse. The only one in the building. Olivia wondered how Cole Turner managed to get his hands on it, let alone keep it after disappearing last summer. The lucky bastard.  
  
The elevator delivered to the top floor. Olivia walked out and headed straight for the penthouse's double doors. She hesitated. What the hell was she doing? Her new neighbor was a half-demon. A half-demon who was at least over a hundred years old. And who for at least two months, had been the Source - leader of the Underworld. That is, if Leo and Darryl were correct. So why did she bother with this visit? Especially when common sense would have dictated that she avoid him at all costs?   
  
Olivia could only conclude that gratitude for saving her life had contributed to her decision to pay her new neighbor a visit. After all, Cole Turner really had no reason to help her. She was not a Halliwell. If she really must be honest, Cole reminded her of Richard. Her fiancé of long ago. Well, not that long ago. Richard had been dead for less than a year. Olivia saw the same intensity, loneliness and conflicted emotions that used to radiate from Richard's eyes when they first met. She knew that Cole was not another Richard, despite their similarities. But she could plainly see that he had endured a lot over a period of time. And that he desperately needed a friend.  
  
She rang the doorbell. A minute passed and no one answered. Olivia rang the doorbell again. This time, one of the doors slowly opened. She caught her breath at the sight of the man that filled the doorway. He wore nothing but a pair of trousers and a sleeveless T-shirt. Good God! No wonder Phoebe Halliwell had fell for him like a ton of bricks! It seemed like a miracle that the other Halliwells did not follow suit.  
  
Cole's blue eyes grew wide at the sight of Olivia. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.  
  
"Excuse me?" Olivia shot back.  
  
Consternation flitted across Cole's handsome face. He sighed heavily. "Sorry, I . . . I didn't mean to sound rude. May I help you?"  
  
Olivia held out the dish in her hands. "Actually, I'm here to give you this. It's called Floating Island. Just a little thank you gift for saving my life, last night." She placed the dish in Cole's hands.  
  
He stared at the dessert. "I . . . uh, thanks. Although to be honest, I'm not really that . . ."  
  
"Oh, you should try it," Olivia insisted. "It's really quite delicious. Well, hopefully. Floating Island is one of my mom's specialties and she is much better at making it than I am."  
  
A nervous cough. "Look, I'm grateful for the . . . uh, gift, but I'm not really hungry at the moment. I'm trying to watch my weight."  
  
"Really?" Olivia allowed her eyes to roam appreciatively over his masculine figure. "I'd say that a diet is the last thing you need to worry about."  
  
"Okay, look," Cole returned the dish to Olivia, "thanks for the Floating Land, or whatever you called it, but no thanks. I'm not interested."  
  
A spark of anger ignited within Olivia. Then she took a deep breath. 'Calm down, Olivia. Calm down.' "You don't have to eat it now," Olivia continued in her most calm voice. "Just keep it in the . . ."  
  
"I . . . don't . . . want . . . the . . . damn . . . thing!" Cole literally shouted in her face. "UNDERSTAND??"  
  
Her control over her anger slipped and Olivia's temper exploded. "Yeah, I understand! Jesus Christ! All I was trying to do is be a friend! There's no need to be rude!"  
  
"A friend, huh? I bet you wanted more than that!"  
  
Olivia's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What the hell did you mean by that?" she hissed.  
  
A sneer formed on Cole's lips. "Leo must have told you all about me. The half-demon who became the Source? And since I saved your ass, you're probably wondering what makes me tick. Am I right?" The sneer disappeared, followed by an intimidating stare. "Well, I'm not in the mood to tell you what makes me 'tick'. Not to you or anyone else. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to be left alone. And the next time you find yourself dealing with a warlock or demon, I suggest you holler for Leo!"  
  
"Thanks for the advice!" Olivia shot back scathingly. "Meanwhile, enjoy the dessert!" Using her telekinesis, she sent the Floating Island out of the dish and right smack into Cole's face. Then she spun on her heels and marched toward the elevator, feeling very humiliated.  
  
  
END OF PART 3 


	4. Chapter 4

TITLE: NEIGHBORS  
AUTHOR: RFK  
SERIES: CHA  
CODE: All Characters  
RATING: [PG] Mild adult language   
SUMMARY: While battling a new warlock threat, Cole and the Charmed Ones meet his new neighbor. Set in alternate early Season 5.   
FEEDBACK: june_daley@rocketmail.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.  
DISCLAIMER: The Charmed Ones, Cole, Leo, Darryl and other characters related to Charmed belong to Spelling, Kern, Burge and WB. Dammit!  
  
  
  
"THE NEW NEIGHBOR" - Part 4  
  
  
A chestnut-haired man in his early thirties sat in the chair on the other side of Olivia's desk, at the police station. His blue-gray eyes regarded her with disbelief. "I can't believe that you actually did that to him!" he exclaimed. "And lived! Livy, what the hell were you thinking?"  
  
Olivia heaved a sigh and flipped open a brown folder. "I don't know. He pissed me off. Made me seem like some kind of woman, desperate for a man. Another Geraldine Boone." She referred to a woman who lived in her apartment building. "Look, I was just trying to be a friend. He didn't have to turn on me, like that."  
  
"He really must have pissed you off. You showed up for work on a Saturday. Besides, what did you expect?" Bruce McNeill reached for a Japanese fan from his sister's desk and fiddled with it. "From what you've told me, the man just went through a divorce. His ex-wife and her sisters regard him as the devil incarnate. And considering that he happens to be . . ." Bruce quickly glanced around, ". . . a half-demon, that's not far from the truth. Maybe you should consider Darryl's warning and stay away."  
  
"Warning?" Olivia snorted with derision. "First of all, I have every intention of staying away. Second, if you think he's going to kill me, he had every opportunity to do so for the past two days."  
  
Bruce sighed. "I guess you have a point. He did save your life. Rather odd for a half-demon. Including falling in love with one of the Charmed Ones. I understand that he even helped them vanquish a lot of demons and warlocks?"  
  
Olivia nodded. "Including the old Source. At least according to Leo."  
  
"Maybe so," Bruce replied, "but didn't he eventually become the new Source? At least for a while?"  
  
"Yes Bruce, he did." Olivia gave her older brother a direct stare. "Is this leading up to more advice that I should stay away from him? Because you don't have to worry about that."  
  
Suspicion gleamed in Bruce's eyes. "Do I? I know you, Livy. You can be very nosy. And you know what they say - 'Curiosity killed the cat'. I don't want to see you hurt, again."  
  
Olivia rolled her eyes. "Curiosity killed the cat? Couldn't you be a little more original than that? And if you're referring to Richard, may I remind you that he wasn't a demon. Nor was he the one who hurt me in the end. Besides," she slammed the file shut and reached for another one, "are you sure that we have to beware of Mr. Turner?"  
  
Bruce frowned. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, from what Leo told me, the Charmed Ones had vanquished him, last May. Since his return from the dead, he hasn't bothered to get revenge. Don't you find that odd?"  
  
Before Bruce could answer, Olivia changed the subject. "Speaking of the Charmed Ones, has Gran asked them over for Sunday brunch, yet?"  
  
"Yeah, but they haven't accepted. Yet. Harry doesn't think they will." Bruce referred to the youngest McNeill sibling, Harry.  
  
Olivia sighed. "Harry might have a point. When I met them the other day, they didn't strike me as the socializing types. They seemed to keep to themselves."  
  
Bruce replied, "Maybe they don't want their identities known."  
  
"You mean to other witches? It's not like we're going to declare to the world that they're Charmed Ones."   
  
Bruce could only respond with a shrug. Then he added, "It's strange that you would end up meeting Prue Halliwell's sisters after all these years. Strange that none of us ever became close, considering that their grandmother and ours were close friends."  
  
Olivia remained silent. A uniformed cop approached her desk, wearing a concerned expression. "Excuse me, Inspector."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
The cop continued, "We just received a call about a dead body found in Candlestick Park."  
  
"What does this have to do with me?" Olivia asked.  
  
"Well, there's a chance he was killed in the same manner as the person found in Lafayette Park, last Wednesday."  
  
Olivia's interest perked. She shot a glance at Bruce. "Oh? Same weapon?"  
  
The uniformed cop shook his head. "The officer on the scene isn't sure, ma'am. But he thought you might want to check it out." He left.  
  
Sister and brother stared at each other. "You think the Charmed Ones may have stumbled across another warlock?" Olivia asked.  
  
Bruce shrugged. "Maybe. Or else this victim might be a witch. Mind if I join you?"  
  
"Sure. It's not everyday that I have a sous chef accompany me to a crime scene." Olivia stood up and grabbed her jacket. Her brother did the same and the pair headed out of the squad room.  
  
* * * *   
  
Saturday evening settled around the Halliwell Manor. Piper bustled about the kitchen, as she prepared a light dinner for her family. At least for three of them. Paige had a date tonight, and Piper decided that a light dinner would probably be sufficient for her, Leo and Phoebe.  
  
Speaking of Leo, her whitelighter husband materialized in the middle of the kitchen. Piper was not taken by surprise. She had been expecting him for the past hour or so. However, the worried expression on his face did surprise her.  
  
"Hey Leo." She planted a light kiss on her husband's cheek. Leo did not bother to return the kiss. "Leo? Is there something wrong?"  
  
A frown creased the whitelighter's brow. "I have some bad news," he said. "Are Phoebe and Paige around?"  
  
"Yeah. Pheebs is in the Sun Room. And Paige is getting ready for a date."  
  
Leo started out of the kitchen. "I need to speak to them, as well. Phoebe! Paige!"  
  
Piper followed her husband to the Sun Room. There, they found Phoebe sitting in one of the wicker chairs, watching television. Paige appeared a minute later. "What's up?" the latter drawled. She wore a knee-length aqua-blue dress with a halter top and matching heels. The perfect outfit for a night on the town.  
  
Leo turned to the three sisters. His expression was grave. "I just saw Olivia and Bruce McNeill," he announced. "They were at the police station, this morning, when a call came in about a body found in Candlestick Park. Bruce recognized the victim as a fellow witch named Vincent Farrar and he had been stabbed by a athame. Vincent had a fire power."  
  
Paige frowned. "Fire power? I didn't know that witches can have a fire power."  
  
Phoebe ignored her and said to Leo. "Does Olivia McNeill have any idea who killed him?"  
  
Leo sighed. "Olivia thinks the killer might have been another warlock. Which means that he or she now has a fire power. And this warlock might be from the same coven as the one you had killed, last Wednesday."  
  
"Doesn't she know where this coven can be found?" Piper demanded.  
  
"Sorry. She and Bruce tried scrying for any of the warlocks, but it was a no go," Leo said with a shrug.  
  
Paige suggested that they scry for the coven. "Nothing like a little Power of Three to get things going. Or maybe we should use a spell to summon one of them. Or transport us to where they are at."  
  
"We can try scrying for them," Piper replied. "But I don't think the transport idea is a good one. Especially if we don't have any idea where we'll end up."  
  
Leo added, "Maybe you should work with the McNeills on this one. A coven of warlocks attacking powerful witches and no one can track them? This sounds pretty serious."  
  
Piper brushed aside her husband's suggestion. She loved Leo, but he could a little skittish, sometimes. Too cautious. "I'm sure that a quick scry by us will do the trick. Paige, get the crystal, will you?"  
  
While Paige left to fetch the crystal, Piper and the other two headed over to where a map of San Francisco laid stretched on a table. "Okay," Paige said, as she hung the crystal over the map, "here we go. Warlocks, warlocks. Where are they?" The crystal continued to hover, but after several seconds, it failed to pinpoint nothing. "Maybe Olivia was mistaken about warlocks attacking the witches. Maybe they're demons."  
  
"I don't think so," Leo replied. "Olivia recognized both the warlock that Phoebe killed and the one whom Cole had saved her from, as part of the Crozat Coven, from her Book of Shadows."  
  
A concerned Phoebe agreed with Leo. "Maybe we should work with the McNeills. Olivia seemed to be more familiar with this coven."  
  
Piper sighed. As much as she disliked the idea of working with strangers, she realized that both Leo and Phoebe made sense. "All right," she said. "I'll call Mrs. McNeill and tell her that we accept her invitation to Sunday brunch." Piper paused. "Does anyone remember her telephone number?"  
  
* * * *   
  
Olivia's low heels clicked on the concrete ground, as she strode across the building's underground parking lot. It was late Sunday morning and she was on her way to her parents' home for the family's traditional Sunday brunch.  
  
Once she reached her dark green BMW convertible, Olivia clicked off the alarm. Then she placed a wrapped square pan on the passenger seat. She then climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. Only the damn thing refused to start.  
  
Olivia muttered an oath under her breath. Again, she switched on the engine. And again, failure. She smacked her hand against the steering wheel in anger. It seemed she would have to call Bruce or Harry to give her a ride to the McNeill manor. Heaving a sigh, Olivia reached inside her purse for the cell phone.  
  
"Is there a problem?" a soft, masculine voice asked. Olivia glanced up and saw Cole Turner looming beside her convertible. He glanced down and smiled. "Hi. Car trouble?"  
  
Olivia eyed the newcomer warily. Her mind conjured up images of the irritated neighbor, the reluctant savior and the rude bastard she had met over the past several days. And it seemed she was about to become acquainted with a new facet of Cole Turner's personality.  
  
"Nothing I can't handle," Olivia coolly replied. "Is there something you need?"  
  
Cole peered into the passenger seat. "No, I . . . uh, I spotted you from the elevator and decided to say hi." He pointed at the food on the car seat. "Going to a party?"  
  
"Not quite. More like a family's Sunday brunch." Olivia added, "Those are sandwich loaves, by the way." Cole stared at her. "You seemed interested."  
  
An embarrassed cough left Cole's mouth. "Well, I can only guess that it tastes as good as your Floating Island. Which was quite delicious, by the way. Too bad most of it ended in my face." He chuckled slightly.  
  
Olivia winced out of sheer embarrassment. "Oh God! I'm sorry about that," she said in a contrite voice. "It was a childish way to lose my temper."  
  
"Actually, I should apologize," Cole quietly interjected. "I was pretty rude that night." A half-hearted attempt at another chuckle followed. "Very rude, as a matter of fact. I, uh . . . I had an unpleasant conversation with Phoe. . . uh, my ex-wife. I guess I was in a bad mood that night."  
  
An understanding smile tugged at Olivia's lips. "That's okay. Apology accepted." Her frown returned as she diverted her attention back to her car. "Now if I can just get this car started." She made one last attempt to switch on the engine. And once more, she failed. "Dammit! I knew I should have got this damn fixed when I had the chance."  
  
"Need a lift?" Cole asked.  
  
Olivia sighed from sheer relief. She glanced up at him with pleading eyes. "Would you mind? I'm going to 231 ______________ Drive."  
  
"Not at all." Cole helped her out of the car. Olivia reached inside to remove her sandwich loaves from the passenger's seat. "I was about to go for a drive. But I could get you to wherever you're going a lot faster."  
  
"Shimmering?"  
  
Cole stared at her. "How did you . . .? Never mind. By the way, I haven't shimmered in about a year. I blur now."  
  
Olivia gave him a wide. "Really? I haven't been blinked to another place in ten months. This should be interesting." She relished the astonished expression on Cole's face as they disappeared from the parking lot.  
  
* * * *   
  
One second later, Cole and Olivia appeared in front of a three-story Spanish-Colonial villa. It stood on hill that overlooked San Francisco Bay. Cole was impressed. Very impressed. There was also something very familiar about this place.  
  
"This is where your parents live?" he asked.  
  
Olivia nodded. "The McNeills have owned the house for the past 127 years." Cole followed her up the verandah's stairs and toward the front door. Olivia rang the doorbell.  
  
The pair waited only a few seconds before a dark-suited man in his mid-fifties answered the door. "Oh, Miss Olivia! You're here." Cole immediately recognized his Welsh accent.   
  
"Good morning, Davies," she replied, as she brushed past the manservant. Cole followed. "Is everyone here?"  
  
Davies replied, "Yes, miss. And we also have . . ."  
  
"Hey sis! You finally made it!" A tall young man in his mid-twenties appeared in the foyer. Like Olivia, he possessed red hair and green eyes. And he had the looks that one would describe as boyishly handsome.  
  
Olivia gave the young man a hug. "Hey Harry! Long time no see. How was London?"  
  
Harry shrugged. "Not bad." His eyes fell upon Cole. "Who's your guest?"  
  
"Oh. I'd like you to meet Cole Turner." When Harry's eyes grew wide, Olivia nodded. "Yep, he's that Cole Turner. The one who saved me last Thursday."  
  
Harry's face turned pale. "Oh."  
  
"What's the matter?" a frowning Olivia asked. "You look as if you've seen a ghost. Or worse. Where is everyone? In the garden?"  
  
The young man replied reluctantly, "Well, yeah. But I should tell you . . ." Olivia pushed past him before he could finish. "Olivia!" Oblivious to her brother's cry, the redhead continued across the foyer. Cole realized he had no choice but to follow close behind. "Gee, Livy! Can't you even wait until I finish?"  
  
With Cole still following, Olivia marched into a spacious sitting room, filled with tasteful and very expensive furnishings. Instead of stopping, Olivia continued toward a pair of French door. She swung them open, stepped outside and stopped short. Cole overheard her murmur, "Oh!"  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked. Cole peered over Olivia's shoulder. The sight that greeted his eyes nearly caused his heart to stop.  
  
A woman who resembled a middle-aged version of Olivia rose from a wicker chair to greet the newcomers. "Olivia, dearie! You finally made it! I was beginning to wonder." She hugged the younger woman and then her green eyes rested upon Cole with deep interest. "Who's this?" she asked. "Have we met, before?" Cole noticed that she also spoke with a Welsh accent.  
  
"Mom, this is Cole Turner. The same Cole who had saved me from that warlock, last Thursday night," Olivia announced.  
  
Green eyes grew wide. "Oh! So you're . . ." Realization crept into those eyes. "Oh. I . . ." Olivia's mother glanced at the figures behind her.  
  
One of those figures stood up and eyed Cole with familiar suspicion. "What the hell is he doing here?" accused one Paige Matthews.  
  
Olivia's mother smiled wanly. "Sorry about that, Livy. I forgot to tell you that we have . . . visitors."  
  
Cole took a deep breath and glanced at his ex-wife and former in-laws. "I guess I better get going," he muttered.  
  
Olivia placed a free hand on his arm. "Wait a minute! Not before I introduce you to my family." She nodded at the older woman. "This is my mother, Gweneth Morgan McNeill. And you've also met my younger brother, Harry." The red-haired man shook hands with Cole.  
  
Two other men stood up to greet the half-demon. Both stood over six feet tall and possessed chestnut-brown hair, blue-gray eyes and rugged good looks. One of them reached Cole first. He was older, at least in his early or mid-fifties. And there seemed to be a dangerous gleam in his eyes that struck a familiar note with Cole. "Hi, I'm Jack McNeill, Olivia's father." American. "It's nice to meet you again, after all these years."  
  
Cole stared into the man's face. Memories from the past flooded his brain. Of a cunning male witch who nearly got the best of him some twenty-five years ago. Frowning, he asked, "Have we met before?"  
  
A knowing smile stretched Jack McNeill's lips. He offered his hand. "London, June 1977. You were trying to steal an amulet from a friend of mine and my wife and I helped her set a trap for you."  
  
Stunned by the realization, Cole absently shook McNeill's hand. "Oh yeah. Now I remember. You nearly killed me. I barely got away with my life."  
  
"Sorry about that." McNeill gave a quick shrug. "At least you got away." He turned to the younger version of himself. "Oh, this is my son, Bruce. Bruce McNeill."  
  
The younger McNeill shook Cole's hand. "Nice to meet you. Thanks for saving Livy's life, the other day. And this," he indicated a pretty blond woman, who sat in one of the garden's chairs, "is my fiancée, Barbara Bowen." Cole nodded at the woman.  
  
"Nice to meet you all," he finally said.  
  
Olivia nodded at the Halliwells. "I guess you know who they are. No need to introduce them."  
  
Cole shot another glance at Phoebe and the others. "Well, I guess it's time for me to leave. I uh. . ."  
  
Gweneth McNeill spoke up. "Are you sure you don't want to stay? We have plenty of . . ."  
  
"Who's this?" a soft voice from behind, asked. Cole, Olivia and Harry whirled around. Behind them stood a petite woman with a silvery hair and blue-gray eyes. Cole figured her to be at least in her early or mid-seventies. He also realized that she must have been a beauty in her day. Her eyes gleamed with interest at the newcomer.  
  
Olivia replied, "Hi Gran! This is the guy who saved me a few days, ago. Cole Turner. Cole, this is my grandmother, Elise Collins McNeill."  
  
"So this is the famous Belthazor," Elise McNeill declared. Cole noticed how her family winced at her bluntness. But he did not mind. He could not find any hostility in her tone. Only interest.  
  
Cole flashed a quick smile. "Belthazor has been gone for about a year, now. Just call me Cole."  
  
"Really? But aren't you a demon again?"  
  
Olivia cried out in protest, "Gran!"  
  
Mrs. McNeill rolled her eyes. "Oh please! It's a perfectly legitimate question."  
  
"I don't know about that," Cole replied. He heard a scoff from one the Halliwells. Piper. "But I do have new demonic powers. It's a long story." He was amused by the woman's directness. In a way, she reminded him of Olivia. He shot another look at his former in-laws and his smile disappeared.  
  
Mrs. McNeill patted his arm. "Well, I'd love to hear it."  
  
"So would I," Jack McNeill added. "Why don't you stay for brunch?"  
  
The McNeills, including Olivia, stared at Cole with expectation. Cole had not felt this welcomed since . . . well, since he and Phoebe first started dating. Nor did he recall the Halliwells sharing her feelings. Once more, he glanced at the Charmed Ones and Leo. "Uh, I'd like to, but I had other plans."  
  
"Oh." Mrs. McNeill's eyes expressed disappointment. Then she glanced at the Halliwells. "I see. Well, how about Tuesday night?"  
  
Cole glanced at Olivia, whose eyes looked hopeful. The other McNeills seemed to feel just the same. Why were they so interested in him? To satisfy their curiosity? Or maybe they felt grateful to him for saving Olivia's life. What the hell! "I'd love to accept. What time should I come?"  
  
Smiling, Olivia replied, "Seven o'clock. We can come together." Cole's brows rose at the double meaning of her words. Her cheeks turned pink. "Uh . . . you know what I mean."  
  
"Yeah. Well, I'll see you all on Tuesday." Cole gave them a polite smile and quickly made his escape.  
  
  
END OF PART 4 


	5. Chapter 5

TITLE: NEIGHBORS  
AUTHOR: RFK  
SERIES: CHA  
CODE: All Characters  
RATING: [PG] Mild adult language   
SUMMARY: While battling a new warlock threat, Cole and the Charmed Ones meet his new neighbor. Set in alternate early Season 5.   
FEEDBACK: june_daley@rocketmail.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.  
DISCLAIMER: The Charmed Ones, Cole, Leo, Darryl and other characters related to Charmed belong to Spelling, Kern, Burge and WB. Dammit!  
  
  
  
"NEIGHBORS" - Part 5  
  
  
When Cole had disappeared from the McNeill garden, Phoebe heaved a silent sigh of relief. He had left, thank goodness. For a moment she feared that Cole had deliberately appeared at the McNeill home because of her. Yet, he had not seemed interested in her. In fact, he looked . . . unpleasantly surprised.  
  
"This sandwich loaf or whatever you call it is great!" Paige declared, as she bit into a slice. "Who made this?"  
  
A voice behind the two sisters announced, "I believe that Olivia did." It was Elise McNeill. "Olivia would be pleased that you liked her sandwich loaves. She learned how to make them from Gwen. In fact, all of Gwen's children had inherited her cooking talent. Especially Bruce." Her blue-gray eyes twinkled with interest. "Have you ever been to the Golden Horn restaurant? Gwen owns it, but Bruce is the sous chef, there."  
  
"Uh, no," Phoebe replied. "It's a . . . a little too expensive for our tastes."  
  
The elderly woman blinked. "Oh. Well, what about Morgan's on Powell Street? It's Gwen's other restaurant."  
  
Paige added enthusiastically, "I've been there. Great chow. Especially the Veal Parmagian."  
  
"Gwen would be glad to hear it," Mrs. McNeill replied with a smile. "Why don't you try Bruce's quiche? It's quite . . ."  
  
Her thoughts on her ex-husband and not on the food, Phoebe cut in. "Mrs. McNeill . . ."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Phoebe took a deep breath and continued, "I want to apologize. About Cole. I had no idea that he would show up, like that."  
  
Blue-gray eyes stared thoughtfully at Phoebe. "What is there to apologize for? Olivia's car wasn't working and Mr. Turner gave her a lift. That's it."  
  
"Maybe. But knowing Cole . . ." Phoebe caught herself. A touch of bitterness had crept into her voice and she immediately squelched it. "What I mean is there's a chance that Cole had arranged the whole thing. With Olivia's car."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Phoebe continued, "To see me, today. We were just recently divorced. And Cole . . . well, I think he's trying to win me back."  
  
"Really?" Mrs. McNeill added, "He didn't stay around long enough to try, did he?"  
  
Paige said, "You have to understand my brother . . . uh, ex-brother-in-law, Mrs. McNeill. He can be very obsessive about Phoebe. In fact, she had a difficult time getting a divorce from him."  
  
"Cole didn't know you would be here," a fourth voice said. Olivia McNeill joined the trio near the buffet table. "If he did, I certainly didn't tell him. In fact, no one bothered to tell me." She gave her grandmother a reproachful look.  
  
Innocence radiated from the elderly woman's eyes. "I'm sorry! I didn't find out until this morning. By the way," her gaze returned to the Halliwells, "why did you wait so long to accept my invitation? I had invited you, last Thursday."  
  
Phoebe exchanged an embarrassed glance with Paige. Whose attention immediately returned to the sandwich loaf slice on her plate. Phoebe did not blame her. What could they say? That the only reason they accepted Elise McNeill's invitation, because they needed help in tracking down warlocks? Phoebe suspected that the McNeills, especially old Mrs. McNeill, would be insulted by the truth. So she lied.  
  
"Actually," she replied, "we had other plans for today. But they fell through." God, that sounded lame!  
  
The elderly woman's eyes stabbed Phoebe with a piercing stare. It seemed to cut right through the middle Halliwell's psyche. Phoebe had the oddest feeling that Mrs. McNeill had just read her thoughts. "Phoebe," the older woman began.  
  
"Yes?" Did her voice just quiver?  
  
Mrs. McNeill continued, "I should tell you that I have the power of telepathy." Her eyes continued to bore through the young witch's. "So, could you tell me again, why you took so long to accept my invitation?"  
  
Phoebe took a deep breath. She glanced at Paige, who seemed a little intimidated. No help there. "Uh, actually . . . we decided to accept at the last minute, because . . ." Once again, she looked at her younger sister.  
  
"Because we had hoped that Inspec . . . uh, Olivia would help us track down those warlocks," Paige finally blurted out. Relief practically oozed out of her eyes.  
  
A pause followed. Phoebe glanced at the red-haired police inspector, whose eyes were riveted upon the others in the garden. Phoebe had the strangest sensation that she was attempting to suppress a smirk.  
  
Mrs. McNeill's stare remained steady. "Well, now I wish I hadn't insisted upon the truth. And I thought you wanted to meet one of your grandmother's old friends."  
  
Oh God! Phoebe squirmed with discomfort. The woman could lay a guilt trip with a finesse that would put Grams to shame. Or Prue. Phoebe opened her mouth to respond, but Mr. McNeill came to her rescue. He cried out, "Hey! Are you guys going to hog the food on that table, forever?"  
  
The McNeill matriarch smiled at her son. "Don't worry, Jack. We'll be right there." Without so much as a glance at Phoebe or Paige, she left the table to join the others. And with Olivia close behind her.  
  
Paige whispered to Phoebe, "You know, this little gathering is turning into the brunch from Hell. Now, what do we do?"  
  
"Grin and bear it," Phoebe whispered back through clenched teeth. "What other choice do we have?" The two sisters linked hands and rejoined the others around the patio. Both nearly winced visibly as they overheard Elise McNeill confront Piper and Leo about their visit.  
  
Looking somewhat taken aback, Piper said, "Uh, I'm sorry, Mrs. McNeill. What did you say?"  
  
"I said that I understand that you and your sisters wanted to speak with Olivia about these warlock attacks," Elise McNeill repeated coolly. "Or do you plan to get together with her to find them?"  
  
The stunned expression on Piper's face seemed to have spurred Leo to speak on her behalf. "Well, the girls also wanted to talk about their grandmother . . ." He cut his words short, as Phoebe warned him with a shake of her head.  
  
"That's funny," Olivia said with a smirk slowly forming on her lips, "I could have sworn that Paige told us that the reason you accepted Gran's invitation, is because you wanted to discuss the warlocks."  
  
A strained silence fell upon the garden patio. The Halliwells found themselves under an intense scrutiny from the McNeills. There was nothing more embarrassing, Phoebe decided, than being caught in a lie. And since Piper and Leo were too stunned to speak, and Paige had a bad habit of being blunt, Phoebe realized that she better ease the tension.  
  
"Look, I realize that we came here under false pretenses," she began apologetically.  
  
One of Mr. McNeill's brows quirked upward. "Oh?"  
  
Turning to face old Mrs. McNeill, Phoebe continued, "You have to understand. We really would have loved talking with you about Grams. It's just that the last time we visited one of her old friends, she ended up stealing our powers for some warlock. So she could become young, again. I guess we've been wary of 'old' friends, ever since."  
  
"That must have been Gail," Mrs. McNeill said in a sad voice. "I heard about her death from my whitelighter. I guess her bad health had finally drove her to desperate measure." She then gave the Halliwells a steely look. "But I assure you, I have no desire to steal your powers." The beginnings of a smirk touched her lips. "At least not yet." She sighed. "But since you needed help to track down those warlocks, you came to see us. Or specifically, Olivia."  
  
Blushing furiously, Phoebe nodded. Piper, Paige and Leo also looked equally guilty. Olivia heaved a sigh and asked what they wanted to know.  
  
Relief flooded Phoebe. She said, "We're trying to figure out why we can't locate this warlock coven. If there is a coven behind these attacks."  
  
"Oh, I'm sure it's the Crozat Coven," Olivia replied. "Two warlocks from the same coven? That's just a little too convenient."  
  
Jack McNeill added, "There's a good chance that the warlocks are blocking any sign of their presence."  
  
"With a spell?" Leo asked.  
  
Nodding, Mr. McNeill continued, "Probably. If they're killing off witches, especially powerful witches, they don't want to be discovered."  
  
"Especially if their activities are attracting notice," Gwen McNeill added.  
  
Paige added, "I had considered using a summoning spell, but attracting a coven of warlocks . . ."  
  
Harry McNeill, Olivia's younger brother, made a suggestion that formed a knot in Phoebe's stomach. "Say Livy, why don't you ask that new neighbor of yours? Cole? I bet he could give you some information on this Crozat Coven." His words were met with a stony silence by the Halliwells. "Did I say something wrong?"  
  
"Actually, that sounds like a good idea," Olivia commented. "I'll ask him when I . . ."  
  
"No!" The word shot out of Phoebe's mouth before she could stop herself. All eyes stared at her. She felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound rude. It's just . . ."  
  
Paige quickly cut in. "What Phoebe meant was that we prefer not to involve Cole in this."  
  
"Why?" Harry demanded. "You think he might have some connection to these warlocks?"  
  
A tight smile barely stretched Piper's lips. "We just prefer not to have anything to do with Cole. Bad memories."  
  
"That's okay," Olivia said. "You don't have to ask him. I will."  
  
The three Halliwells stared at Olivia. Phoebe began to wonder why the redhead seemed so interested in involving Cole in this affair. Or why she was not upset at the idea of working with a demon, let alone becoming friends with him.  
  
"You really think that's a good idea?" Paige asked in her usual blunt manner. "I mean the man is demonic, again. He's evil. Despite what he may feel about Phoebe. I wouldn't trust him with a fish tank, let alone having him help us."  
  
Piper seared her youngest sister with a reproachful glare. "Paige!"  
  
"Well, if you don't trust him," Olivia shot back, "why did you work with him for nearly a year?"  
  
The Charmed Ones glared at their whitelighter. Obviously, Leo had told Olivia a lot about them since they first became witches.  
  
Phoebe coolly answered, "Because we thought we could trust him. And the only reason he was willing to work with us, was because of . . . well, me." Her face grew hot again. "But not even me could prevent him from accepting evil again."  
  
"Are you referring to the period when he was the Source?" Gwen McNeill asked. "How did that happened?"  
  
It was Paige who told the McNeills about Cole's use of the Hollow. Of how he used that particular object to absorb the Source's power to first, help the Charmed Ones vanquish the old Source; and two, assume control of the Underworld and use Phoebe to conceive a son. "So you see," Paige finished, "he really can't be trusted. Despite his recent attempts to prove how good he is. And with those new powers he has . . . well, you can understand."  
  
The tension that surrounded the garden patio increased tenfold. Phoebe noticed that McNeills seemed to regard Paige's narrative with a touch of skepticism. Why, she couldn't understand. She also found herself longing for the familiar surroundings of the Halliwell manor. And her own private bedroom. Trust Cole to cause further trouble - even without being around.  
  
Olivia's stare became even more relentless. "So, what you're saying is that Cole had deliberately got his hands on the Hollow to become the new Source? Am I right?"  
  
An apologetic Leo spoke up. "We don't know the exact details. Cole claims that the Seer tricked him into using it. He might be telling the truth. Then again, we don't know for sure. And whether he is or not, having him around is a danger . . . to all of us."  
  
"He certainly wasn't a danger to Olivia," Bruce commented. "Cole saved her from a warlock, three days ago.  
  
Olivia smiled thinly. "And he didn't really have to bother, considering we had been at each other's throats just a few hours earlier. Maybe he's not completely trustworthy, but I don't think it would hurt to ask. Besides," her smile disappeared, "I like to cover all possibilities."  
  
Shaking her head, Paige retorted, "Yeah, but you don't know him like we . . ."  
  
"Paige!" Once more, Piper interrupted her sister.  
  
Phoebe remained silent throughout that last exchange. What could she or her family say? They had no say so over Olivia's actions. But a small part of Phoebe felt disturbed that the police inspector - who happened to be very attractive - had developed a friendship with her ex-husband.  
  
Gweneth McNeill broke the uncomfortable silence with a slight cough. "Well," she said with a too bright smile, "now that everything's been settled, are any of you ready for my peach torte?"  
  
* * * *   
  
Several hours later, the Halliwells and Leo returned to the manor on Prescott Street with great relief. Leo closed the door behind him and turned to his wife and sisters-in-law. "Well," he said, struggling to maintain a smile, "that was an interesting afternoon."  
  
"Interesting?" Paige scoffed. "More like intense. My God, Leo! How long have you known that bunch?"  
  
Leo heaved a sigh. It was his usual response whenever someone brought up the McNeill family. "A little over thirty years. Since Bruce was born."  
  
"I can't believe they're willing to work with a demon," Paige continued. "Don't they see anything wrong with that?"  
  
Piper reminded the twenty-five year-old that they had worked closely with that same demon for at least a year. "I mean, he was part of the household."  
  
"And he has saved your life on more than one occasion," Phoebe coolly added.  
  
The manor's inhabitants fell into an embarrassed silence. Leo cocked his ear, hoping for a summons from the Founders. Or at least one of his charges.  
  
"But Phoebe," Paige quietly continued, "do you really want to work with Cole, again? After all he has put us through?"  
  
The defeated sag in Phoebe's shoulders answered Paige's questions, effectively. Leo felt sorry for his sister-in-law. Poor Phoebe. Even after six months, the trauma of Cole's betrayal and their experiences with the Source and the Seer had not completely disappeared. Leo wondered if she would ever recover.  
  
"Look," Piper added, reverting to her old role as mediator, "as far as we know, Olivia is only going to ask Cole a few questions. That's all. He might not even have much information on these warlocks."  
  
Leo wished he could agree, but he had his doubts. Past experience with Cole told him that once the half-demon learn about the warlock threat, he would move heaven and earth to protect Phoebe. Evil or not.  
  
Paige shook her head and repeated Leo's exact thoughts. "I hope you're right. But you know Cole, once he finds out about the warlocks, he won't be able to stay away. And as for the McNeills . . ." She shook her head. "All I'm saying is they seemed too eager to get Cole's help. They don't know him as well as we did, when he worked with us. And did you see the way they fawned over him? I mean, even Mr. McNeill seemed to greet like an old lost friend, instead of someone who nearly killed him, years ago."  
  
"It was Mr. McNeill who nearly killed Cole," Phoebe grumbled. "And can we please stop talking about him, for once? One day can't go by without someone bringing up the subject of Cole! You keep saying that I should get over him, but you're not helping!"  
  
Piper and Paige each mumbled a quiet, "sorry". Leo gave Phoebe's shoulder a quick, comforting squeeze. "Maybe Piper is right," he added. "Maybe nothing will come out of Olivia asking Cole."  
  
"But what if he does get involved?" Phoebe quietly asked. "What if . . ." She shook her head. "Never mind."  
  
"What?" Piper demanded.  
  
A sigh left Phoebe's mouth. "Well, you saw how Olivia reacted over Cole. She practically defended the man. What if they became close? And . . . and Cole hurts her in the end? I mean, c'mon Leo! Neither she or her family have any real experience in dealing with . . . you know, they don't have any real close experience with people like . . . Cole."  
  
Leo cleared his throat. Might as tell them the truth. "That's not exactly true," he said.  
  
All three sisters stared at the whitelighter. "What are you saying?" Paige demanded.  
  
"Olivia." Leo paused. "She was once engaged to a warlock."  
  
The Charmed Ones' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "WHAT?" they cried at the same time.  
  
  
END OF PART 5 


	6. Chapter 6

TITLE: NEIGHBORS  
AUTHOR: RFK  
SERIES: CHA  
CODE: All Characters  
RATING: [PG] Mild adult language   
SUMMARY: While battling a new warlock threat, Cole and the Charmed Ones meet his new neighbor. Set in alternate early Season 5.   
FEEDBACK: june_daley@rocketmail.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.  
DISCLAIMER: The Charmed Ones, Cole, Leo, Darryl and other characters related to Charmed belong to Spelling, Kern, Burge and WB. Dammit!  
  
  
  
"NEIGHBORS" - Part 6  
  
  
Cole guided his Porsche into the parking space assigned to him and stopped. He switched off the engine. A minute passed while he remained in the driver's seat, staring at the view beyond the car's windshield. At the gray wall of his building's underground parking lot. Another minute passed. And another.  
  
The drive up the coast had done nothing to allay Cole's dark mood. In fact, the whole trip seemed to have been a complete waste of time. Perhaps he would have been better off accepting the McNeills' invitation to brunch. Then again, maybe not. Cole doubted that he could have survived an afternoon of dealing with the Halliwells' hostility.  
  
He sighed and opened the car's door. Just as Cole was about to climb out, he heard a voice cry out his name. "Mr. Turner? Hel-lo! Mr. Turner!" Dammit! Cole recognized the voice. It belonged to one of his neighbors, a tenant named Geraldine Boone. Cole could not stand her.  
  
"Mr. Turner! Thank goodness I ran into you!" A forty-something woman with dyed blond hair, jogged up to Cole's side, breathing heavily. He tried to ignore the tight dress that looked totally unsuited for her. Especially since it accentuated some very unflattering curves.  
  
Cole's mouth stretched into an insincere smile. He said in a polite voice, "Mrs. Boone, how may I help you?" He climbed out of the Porsche and shut the door.  
  
The middle-aged woman tittered. "Why don't you call me Gerry? And I'll call you Cole?"  
  
Fighting the urge to fireball the woman or transform her into an innate object, Cole's smile remained frozen. "So . . . Mrs. Brooks, how may I help you?"  
  
Discomfort flickered in her pale eyes. "I . . . uh, I wanted to speak with you about building matters," Mrs. Boone continued. Then her flirtatious attitude returned with a vengeance. "Why don't we return to the building, together, while I tell you all about it." She linked her arm with Cole's and led him toward the parking lot's elevator.  
  
As the elevator rose, Cole thought he would go out of his mind. The urge to use one of his powers on Mrs. Boone, became harder to resist, as she babbled on about the building's superintendent and other matters. Before he could act upon his frustrations, the elevator reached the lobby. The doors slid open and relief appeared in the form of Olivia McNeill. She seemed to be struggling with what looked like aluminum trays in her arms.  
  
"Olivia!" Cole immediately abandoned the older woman and rushed forward to help the red-haired witch. He grabbed one of the trays. "Here, I'll take this."  
  
The younger woman flashed a grateful smile at Cole. "Thanks! I'm afraid that Mom's idea of leftovers is two weeks' worth of food." She spotted a frowning Mrs. Boone in the elevator and stepped inside. "Oh, hi Mrs. Boone! How are you?"  
  
Looking somewhat less than pleased by Olivia's appearance, the older woman murmured curtly, "Fine. I . . ."  
  
"Mrs. Boone was discussing the tenants' problems with maintenance," Cole explained. "She feels we need a new maintenance supervisor."  
  
An auburn brow quirked upward. "Really? I don't recall any maintenance problems. Nor any complaints." Olivia faced Mrs. Boone. "Are you sure you're not exaggerating?"  
  
The older woman's mouth hung open, making her resemble a peroxide fish. Much to Cole's amusement. He wondered if he should give in and transform Mrs. Boone into one.  
  
The elevator stopped at the fifth floor. The doors slid open. "The fifth floor," Cole gaily announced. "I believe this is your stop, Mrs. Boone."  
  
Geraldine Boone - very reluctantly- stumbled out of the elevator. She whirled around and opened her mouth to say something to Cole. But the elevator doors closed shut before she could utter a peep.  
  
Both Cole and Olivia burst into laughter the moment the doors closed. By the time the elevator reached Olivia's floor, their laughter had subsided. Cole, carrying the larger tray, followed his companion out of the elevator and toward her apartment. Once inside, the pair headed straight for the kitchen, where they delivered the trays on the table.  
  
"Thanks for helping me," Olivia said with a smile. "That's the second time today you've come to my rescue."  
  
Cole returned her smile with one of his own. "Glad to help. Besides, you came to my rescue just a few minutes ago. Consider us even," he drawled. Then his smile disappeared. Did he just flirted with his neighbor?  
  
Then Cole noticed the frown on Olivia's face. "What? Did I say something wrong?"  
  
Olivia replied, "I was about to ask you the same thing. You looked a bit . . . odd there, for a moment."  
  
"It's nothing. I was just . . ."  
  
"Has it something to do with your ex-wife?" Olivia asked. Her green eyes reflected concern.  
  
Cole immediately shook his head. "No. Uh, no it doesn't" He returned to the living room and sat down in one of the chairs.  
  
"Liar." Olivia shot him a look that mixed reproach and sympathy. "I saw your reaction at my parents' house, this morning."  
  
Embarrassment washed over Cole. "Yeah, well, it was . . . it was a shock seeing Phoebe and her sisters. But I guess you were all bound to meet one day. Especially since Leo is also your whitelighter. By the way, how was the brunch?"  
  
Olivia turned up her nose, surprising Cole. "A bit of a disaster, I'm afraid," she replied.  
  
"Oh. Sorry. I guess I shouldn't have . . ."  
  
"Are you always in the habit of taking the blame for everything? Look, you didn't know they were going to be there," Olivia retorted. "And neither did I. Besides, it wasn't all about you. The Charmed Ones had accepted my grandmother's invitation at the last moment."  
  
Cole shrugged. "I see."  
  
"No, not quite." Olivia sighed. "It seemed they had accepted the invitation under false pretenses." Cole stared at her. "Gran thought they wanted to talk about Mrs. Halliwell. We found out that they simply wanted to talk about warlocks."  
  
Now Cole understood. If it was not for his present mood, he would laugh at the idea of the Charmed Ones committing such a faux pas. "Warlocks? You mean the one who had attacked you the other night?"  
  
Nodding, Olivia continued, "And the one whom the Charmed Ones had killed last Wednesday in Lafayette Park." She opened her liquor cabinet and retrieved two martini glasses. "Martini?"  
  
"Thanks," Cole replied.  
  
Olivia then reached for three bottles. "Gin, vodka or vermouth?"  
  
Cole added, "Gin and vermouth. With an onion. I'm a Gibson fan."  
  
A smile touched Olivia's mouth. "Really? So am I." She returned the vodka inside the cabinet and then reached for a martini shaker. "I recognized the warlock that the Halliwells had killed," she continued. "He was part of the Crozat Coven. And so was the one you had killed." She began preparing the martinis. "The body of a dead witch was found in Candlestick Park, yesterday morning. I had planned to ask you about the Crozats."  
  
Cole frowned. "The Crozat Coven. Sounds familiar." He recalled a trip to Seattle he had made some five years ago. "From Seattle? I think I've heard of them."  
  
Olivia moved the silver shaker up and down, before pouring its contents into the two martini glasses. "You've heard of the Crozat Coven?"  
  
Cole explained that the Crozat Coven had business dealings with his former brotherhood, in the past. "The Brotherhood of the Thorn. Ever heard of them?"  
  
"Oh yeah!" Excitement lit up Olivia's eyes. She dumped an onion in each of the martini glasses. "Organization of upper level demons, right? You were one of them?"  
  
Cole nodded. "For nearly a half-century. Until I betrayed the Source," he added with a bitter smile. His smile disappeared. "I, uh . . . I helped Phoebe and her sisters thwart one of their business schemes."  
  
Holding the two glasses of martini, Olivia walked over to Cole. She handed over one glass. "And the Brotherhood also had dealings with the Crozat Coven?" She took a sip of her martini. So did Cole. He found it delicious.  
  
"Yeah," he continued. "The coven conducted their business under . . ." Cole paused, as he searched his memory. "I believe they used some corporation as a front for their activities. It's called . . . Malehex. And it's based in Seattle."  
  
Olivia plopped down on the sofa. A frown creased her lovely face. Lovely? Cole gave his head a slight shake. This was no time to be thinking about someone else's looks.  
  
"I wonder if they have any holdings in San Francisco," Olivia commented, breaking Cole's thoughts.  
  
He shook his head. "I wouldn't know. I had to go to Seattle to deal with them. And it has been five years." He paused. "Maybe you can check the internet for Malehex Corporation."  
  
Without a moment's hesitation, Olivia placed her martini glass on the table. She stood up and headed for the desk that held her computer laptop. Cole followed. "Let's see," she murmured, sliding into the chair in front of her desk. Then Olivia typed in the words - MALEHEX CORPORATION. The search proved fruitless. The only information given was the corporation's name and Seattle address.  
  
"Damn!" Olivia muttered with frustration.  
  
Cole added, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I doubt that a corporation owned by warlocks would reveal so much on the Internet."  
  
"But the police computer might have some information," Olivia replied, the excitement on her face growing again. "Or better yet, the Seattle Police. I know a fellow cop . . . who happens to be a witch, up there. I'll send him a message."  
  
While Olivia returned her attention to the computer, Cole took the opportunity to examine her apartment. It seemed small, compared to the penthouse. But it still looked pretty spacious in his eyes. The apartment boasted a large bedroom, a smaller one that obviously served as a guest bedroom, two bathrooms and several closets. Cole also noticed that Olivia had decorated her apartment with tasteful, yet expensive furnishings. Many of them, he suspected, may have come from antique shops. He noticed several family photographs on a Midland cabinet. One particular photograph of a handsome, chestnut-haired man with hazel brown eyes, caught his attention. The man looked very familiar.  
  
"Okay," Olivia said, as she rose from her desk. "I just sent my friend . . ."  
  
Cole held up the photograph of the handsome stranger. "This man looks familiar. Do you know . . .?" He paused at the sight of Olivia's expression. Surprise, followed by deep sadness permeated her green eyes. She practically looked grief-stricken. "Uh, did I say something wrong?"  
  
"No, I . . ." Olivia's mouth trembled slightly. She took a deep breath. "That's my fiancé, Richard. My late fiancé."  
  
Cole murmured a few words of sympathy. "I'm sorry. How did he . . .? Never mind." He placed the photograph back on the cabinet's shelf.  
  
"How did he die? Is that what you were about to ask?" Olivia inhaled once more. "He was killed."  
  
"By a demon? A warlock?"  
  
Olivia quietly replied, "No, by my aunt. My mother's sister, Aunt Rhiannon."  
  
Her answer took Cole's breath away. "Your . . .aunt? Why would she . . .?"  
  
Another gust of breath left Olivia's mouth. She walked over to the sofa and sat down. Then she picked up her martini glass and took a large gulp. Cole sat next to her. "Richard was a warlock," Olivia finally said.  
  
Realization hit Cole like a wet rag. "Of course! I thought he looked familiar. He's from the Bannen Coven! But I heard they had been vanquished nearly two years ago."  
  
"Thanks to Richard." Olivia explained that she had become acquainted with the warlock, Richard Bannen, after meeting him at a exclusive charity party, here in San Francisco. Richard had introduced himself with the full intention to become acquainted with Olivia, romance her and kill her and the McNeill family, in order to steal their powers. "It didn't take me very long to realize he was a warlock, but I kept up a charade of innocence to learn the whereabouts of his coven." She sighed. "Only both of us ended up falling in love. Would you believe it? My family didn't believe it at first, and wanted Richard vanquished. But Harry and Gran learned that Richard's feelings were sincere."  
  
The McNeills eventually accepted Richard as part of the family. Except for one person - Olivia's aunt, Rhiannon Morgan Davies. Gweneth McNeill's sister had endured the death of her husband at the hands of a demon. "She never really got over Uncle Antony's death," Olivia continued. And Aunt Rhiannon . . . well, she tend to be a little too self-righteous a lot. She never liked Dad. She considered him morally ambiguous and not good enough for Mom. But after Uncle Tony's death, she literally became a one-woman vigilante. You know, obsessed with hunting demons and warlocks." Olivia's voice seemed heavy with sadness.  
  
"How did Richard fit into all this?" Cole asked. Olivia's description of her aunt reminded him of Prue. And of Piper, after Prue's death.  
  
Olivia paused. Her face assumed a haunted expression. "Richard's old coven became responsible for the murder of several witches. As far as Aunt Rhiannon was concerned, Richard was among those responsible. She tried to hunt down the entire coven, herself. She did kill a few, but she also harmed a few innocents, in the process, when she mistook them for warlocks. Both Mom and I tried to reason with her. But . . ." Olivia sighed. Heavily. "Aunt Rhiannon . . . well, she snapped and began accusing us of embracing evil." She finished the last of her martini, while Cole waited. "Then she attacked us. She knocked me unconscious and was about to kill Mom, when Richard appeared. Aunt Rhiannon had some kind of electrokinesis. When she used it against Mom, Richard got into the line of fire and got hurt, instead. Aunt Rhiannon was about to attack Mom again, when Richard struck back and killed her." Her voice choking, Olivia concluded, "And Richard died a few minutes later from his wounds. Right after I had regained consciousness." Tears fell from her eyes.  
  
Cole immediately handed his handkerchief to Olivia. Who used it to wipe her eyes. Her story had been truly horrible. And sad. Granted, being possessed by the Source, and later vanquished by one's wife and sisters-in-law seemed worse. But Olivia's story did strike Cole as pretty damn depressing. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.  
  
Shaking her head, Olivia wiped away more tears. "Yeah, so am I. It's been about ten months since it happened." She paused. "And it still hurts." Olivia handed the handkerchief back to Cole.  
  
"Something like that . . ." Cole hesitated. "Well, it's hard to get over." He sighed. "I know from past experience."  
  
Personal grief slowly gave way to sympathy in Olivia's eyes. And curiosity. She said quietly, "Are you talking about you being the Source? How exactly did that happened?"  
  
Cole's lips formed a bitter smirk. "Didn't Leo tell you?"  
  
"Well, all I heard was that you became the Source, betrayed Phoebe and she and her sisters ended up vanquishing you. Leo left out a lot of details." Olivia shook her head. "And I got the feeling that he didn't know all the details. It just seemed too simple . . . especially after all you went through to win their trust. I mean, how did you become the Source in the first place, when you were a human?"  
  
Cole sighed and placed his martini glass on the nearby coffee table. "It's a long story. And I'm hungry. Why don't we discuss this over dinner?"  
  
Olivia responded, "Okay. How about dinner at the Golden Horn restaurant? I'm not really in the mood to cook dinner. And it's my treat."  
  
"Your treat? The Golden Horn is pretty expensive."  
  
A smile - the first one Cole has seen in a while - touched Olivia's lips. "Not for a McNeill. Mom owns the restaurant."  
  
"No wonder it's your treat," Cole murmured sarcastically. He stood up. "Okay. I'll meet you in . . . an hour?"  
  
"An hour's fine. I'll see you then." Olivia's smile broadened. It was the last thing Cole saw before he disappeared from her apartment. 


	7. Chapter 7

TITLE: NEIGHBORS  
AUTHOR: RFK  
SERIES: CHA  
CODE: All Characters  
RATING: [PG] Mild adult language   
SUMMARY: While battling a new warlock threat, Cole and the Charmed Ones meet his new neighbor. Set in alternate early Season 5. Minor spoiler from the upcoming episode, "Witches in Tights".   
FEEDBACK: june_daley@rocketmail.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.  
DISCLAIMER: The Charmed Ones, Cole, Leo, Darryl and other characters related to Charmed belong to Spelling, Kern, Burge and WB. Dammit!  
  
  
  
"NEIGHBORS" - Part 7  
  
  
Olivia spent half of the following morning at the police station, waiting for her friend's response to the e-mail message she had sent. And thinking about last night's dinner with Cole Turner.  
  
The half-demon had done more than just tell her about his experience as the Source. Olivia also learned about his life as Belthazor and his experiences with the Halliwells from the past two years. Namely, the deal he had made with the Triad, his attempts on the Charmed Ones' lives, falling in love with Phoebe Halliwell, being hunted by demonic bounty hunters, the death of his mentor, Raynor, those trying months following Prue Halliwell's death, losing Belthazor to a vengeful woman, adjusting to mortality and finally, the circumstances that led to the Source's possession of his body. Cole also talked about being trapped in the Wasteland and acquiring his new demonic powers. Along with his failed attempts to win back Phoebe. Including his part in the recent death of a well-known slum lord.  
  
In all, Olivia felt as if she had relived an engrossing, supernatural saga on good, evil, love and betrayal. Cole's life story would have made a great novel. Or autobiography. She could see the title now - "THE DEMON FORMERLY KNOWN AS BELTHAZOR". Or perhaps "LIFE OF A DEMONIC ASSASSIN", or maybe even "WITCHES AND DEMONS IN LOVE". What amazed Olivia was that Cole and Phoebe's story bore a strong resemblance to her experiences with Richard. Except for the tragic ending. Cole still might have a chance to start over again with Phoebe Halliwell. At least, once she realizes that he had also been traumatized by the Source and the Seer's machinations. And Cole stops trying too hard to win her back.  
  
Olivia contemplated the idea of a reunion between her neighbor and his ex-wife. For some reason, the idea did not really appeal to her. Her gut instinct told her that unless the middle Charmed One learned to accept Cole for himself, there would be no true happiness between them. And Olivia deeply suspected that accepting Cole was something that the Halliwells could not easily accomplish.  
  
"Hey!" Darryl's voice snapped Olivia out of her thoughts. She glanced up and caught her colleague standing in front of her desk. "You've been staring at that laptop all morning. Are you some Internet addict, or something?"  
  
Olivia gave Darryl a cool look. "I've been waiting for a message. From a friend of mine in Seattle. If you must know."  
  
Darryl eased into the chair, opposite the redhead. "Seattle? What's there?"  
  
"I had received a tip on those . . ." Olivia paused and glanced around. She wanted to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. ". . . on those warlocks." Her voice grew soft.  
  
Dark eyes narrowed. "What kind of tip? From Cole Turner?"  
  
Olivia heaved a frustrated sigh. "Oh God! Darryl, you're not going to start another lecture on not trusting him, again. Are you?"  
  
"Look, you have no idea how dangerous he can be."  
  
A sigh left Olivia's mouth. "Trust me, I have a pretty good idea." She paused, as her eyes returned to the computer screen. "In fact, I have more than a good idea. What would you say if I told you that I was once engaged to a warlock?"  
  
Darryl's eyes flew wide open. "A war . . . What . . . What happened to him?"  
  
Olivia struggled to quell a surge of grief. Her eyes focused on Darryl again, as she quietly said, "Richard was killed, while trying to save my mother and me."  
  
"Oh." Darryl glanced away, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry."  
  
A bitter smile formed on Olivia's lips. "So am I. You know, Cole reminds me of Richard. At least on the surface. They have the same sarcasm. And air of loneliness. Only Richard wasn't as reserved as Cole. And his tastes weren't so . . . I don't know, expensive."  
  
Darryl added, "But I bet your Richard never betrayed you in the end. Did he?"  
  
"No," Olivia replied shortly. "He didn't. But are you so sure that Cole betrayed Phoebe in the end? Or were there other forces involved?"  
  
Despite the chatter that surrounded them, Olivia and Darryl stared at each other in silence. Then Darryl began, "Are you talking about the . . . ?"  
  
Olivia's computer laptop beeped. "You've got mail," it announced. She immediately tore her attention away from Darryl and concentrated on the computer screen. Using her mouse, she clicked on the new message:  
  
"To: Liv71@aol.com  
Subject: Malehex Corp.  
From: DGraySPD@hotmail.com  
Date: Mon, _ Nov 2002 09:39:16  
  
Malehex Corp has one holding in Frisco. Check out Tower  
Bay Imports/Exports Co at _______ Bayshore Blvd. Phillip  
Crozat, company director. Hope this helps.  
  
D.G."  
  
"Got 'em!" Olivia declared triumphantly. "Tower Bay Import/Export. Now that name sounds familiar. Ever heard of it?" she asked Darryl.  
  
The other inspector frowned. "Yeah. It's an exclusive company that imports and exports stuff like rare antiquities, expensive perishables - mainly food delicacies from other countries, and bond certificates. That sort of thing."  
  
"Rare antiquities, huh?" Olivia became thoughtful. "Great way to distribute certain items to other warlock covens and demonic organizations."  
  
Darryl looked shocked. "You mean that Tower Bay is owned by war . . .?" He paused, as an office clerk walked by. "By warlocks?"  
  
"The Malehex Corporation," Olivia clarified. "Which happens to be owned by the Crozat Coven."  
  
"I better tell the Halliwells about this." Darryl stood up.  
  
Olivia grabbed his arm. "Wait a minute, Darryl. When you do, tell them not to do anything."  
  
"Why not?" Darryl demanded.  
  
"Because I want to find out what we're in for. Reconnoiter the place. Get a layout. From what Cole told me, the Crozat Coven is pretty large. And I'm not in the habit of charging in like some ignorant fool." Olivia reached for the telephone. Darryl asked whom she was calling. "The one person who can help me, right now. Well, actually there are two, but I don't think Bruce will be available, this afternoon."  
  
Confusion whirled in Darryl's eyes. "So, who are you calling?"  
  
Olivia shook her head. "Don't worry. I'm not calling Cole." She reached for her telephone. "And don't forget what I said. Tell the Halliwells to stay away, until I reach them." Darryl nodded and walked away. Olivia dialed the number to the McNeill manor.  
  
* * * *   
  
"Thanks for helping me out, Dad," Olivia said to her father, as she drove the car along Bayshore Boulevard. "I hope you weren't forced to interrupt anything."  
  
Jack McNeill dismissed Olivia's worries with a wave of his hand. "You didn't interrupt a thing. I had already finished a board meeting. And the only other thing I had scheduled was a golf game with Cameron Douglas."  
  
Olivia frowned. "Cameron Douglas? You can barely stand him. Has this anything to do with Mr. Douglas' sudden desire to retire? And his company?"  
  
"Maybe," Jack replied airily. His blue-gray eyes radiated innocence. "Besides, I like golf. I think I can survive one game with Douglas."  
  
A smirk formed on Olivia's lips. "Yeah Dad. Sure." She stopped the car at an intersection. "The least said, the better. Right?"  
  
Jack's mouth twisted into a knowing smile. "Sometimes, Olivia, I think you know me too well." He glanced around the car's interior. "This isn't a police car, is it?"  
  
The light turned green and Olivia stepped on the gas. "Not quite. I borrowed this from a friend at the U.S. Customs office. I have to return it before someone realizes that it's missing."  
  
"Ah," Jack said, nodding. "You don't want this car traced to the police."  
  
"That's right. If they had sent a warlock after me, they must know I'm a cop. And I don't want them to know I'm on their trail."  
  
Jack continued, "Which is why you asked me to join you, this afternoon."  
  
Olivia smiled. "You know me too well." She spotted a wide, one-story building to her left. Black letters across the top read: TOWER BAY IMPORTS/EXPORTS. "There it is," she commented.  
  
"How did you find out about this place?" Jack asked.  
  
"I traced it through a friend of mine in the Seattle Police. It's owned by a Seattle-based corporation called MALEHEX."  
  
Jack's eyes widened. "Malehex? Of course! I should have known," he groaned. "I forgot that Malehex was owned by a warlock coven. I just didn't know which one. Who told you about them?"  
  
"Cole. He used to be part of the Brotherhood of the Thorn, which has done business with the Crozats."  
  
One of Jack's brows jumped upward. "Really?"  
  
"Does that bother you?" Olivia asked in an anxious voice. "That I had asked for Cole's help?"  
  
Her father shrugged. "Isn't that what Harry had suggested?"  
  
"Yeah." Olivia stopped the car for a second, before she made a left into Tower Bay's parking lot.  
  
Jack continued, "I bet the Halliwells won't be thrilled, when they find out."  
  
Olivia snorted. "Do I look like I care?" She eased the car into a parking space. "I think I had made myself perfectly clear, yesterday."  
  
"You don't like them very much, do you? The Halliwells, I mean."  
  
A gust of breath left Olivia's mouth. "Dad, did I say anything of the kind? Besides, the only two Halliwells I personally knew, are dead. Prue and Aunt Penny."  
  
"Uh-huh. But you don't like them. Am I right?" Jack insisted. He stared at Olivia. Who found it difficult to meet his eyes. "Look, honey, I realize they seem a bit self-righteous. Come to think of it, one could say the same about both Aunt Penny and Patty."  
  
Olivia added darkly, "And Prue."  
  
"Yeah, well self-righteous or not, they're not bad people. In fact," Jack paused, "I'm sure that they can be pretty nice. They must be, or Cole would have never stuck with them for so long."  
  
Olivia switched off the car's engine. "I guess you're right. But we can talk about the Halliwells, later. It's showtime."  
  
Jack nodded. He sat still for a moment. Within a blink of an eye, his body transformed into another body. He went from a six-foot-one man with graying chestnut hair, blue-gray eyes and ruggedly handsome features, to a stocky, forty-something man with gray eyes and blond hair. "How do I look?" he asked his daughter.  
  
"Even better looking" Olivia joked wryly. "It's my turn." Jack leaned toward her and waved his hand in front of his daughter with one swipe. Olivia immediately transformed into a man - a tall, thin man with dark-brown hair and a perpetual frown. Olivia felt a certain physical addition between her legs. She squirmed. "Gee Dad, did you have to change me into a man?"  
  
A smirk appeared on the older man's lips. "What's the matter? Afraid I won't be able to change you back?"  
  
Olivia shook her head. "Sometimes Dad, I wonder how Mom has been able to deal with that sense of humor of yours, for so long. Let's go." Daughter and father stepped out of the car. Olivia handed Jack a phony U.S. Customs badge and the pair proceeded toward the building.  
  
* * * *   
  
Phillip Crozat eyed the new visitors warily. This was the company's second visit from the U.S. Customs in over a month. One visit could be construed as a nuisance. But this second visit . . . The warlock began to wonder if the company had attracted any unwanted attention from the Federal government.  
  
His cousin, Andre, wanted to kill the two customs inspectors. In case they discover something. Phillip pointed out there was nothing inside the warehouse to discover - aside from several boxes of stock certificates. Unless some idiot had left traces of the last witch they lured here.  
  
Irritation rose within Phillip. With the exception of the witch they had killed at Candlestick Park, two days ago, the coven has been encountering a great deal of bad luck in acquiring witches' powers. The Charmed Ones prevented Cousin Simon from killing the mother of that unborn witch, last Wednesday. And a witch from the powerful McNeill Coven had killed Cousin Stephen, the following night. Phillip had them marked for retribution. But to go after such powerful witches required more fire power. With the powers of the Charmed Ones and the McNeills, the Crozat Coven could become rulers of the Underworld.  
  
The sulky-looking inspector strode up to Phillip. "Looks like everything's in order," he said with a scowl. The man almost seemed disappointed.  
  
Phillip haughtily replied, "I could have told you that. Tower Bay has been one of the most prestigious trading companies on the West Coast."  
  
A sniff from the Customs inspector was the response. The scowling man added, "That's what George DeMere of DeMere Imports said. Two days before we discovered illegal arms in his warehouse. He was part of a big arms smuggling ring and have reason to believe that another company is involved." He turned to his companion, a stocky man with blond hair. "Hey Dan! Find anything back there?"  
  
Seconds later, the other Customs inspector emerged from the back. "Everything's A-okay, Pete!"  
  
Inspector Peter Zwick rolled his eyes. "Right. Let's get out of here."  
  
To Phillip's relief, the Customs inspectors finally left the warehouse. The warlock ordered one of his minions to follow them and make sure they had left. "Think they might be a problem?" Cousin Andre asked.  
  
Phillip shook his head. "I don't think so. But I want to make sure they really are customs agents." The minion returned inside the warehouse, breathing heavily. "Well?" Phillip demanded.  
  
"I saw . . . them leave in a car with . . ." The minion panted between words. ". . . with government plates. U.S."  
  
Andre said, "I guess they're genuine."  
  
"Maybe so," Phillip replied. "But two visits within a month? And this visit just three or four days after Cousin Stephen failed to kill a witch - who happens to be a cop? I don't know." His eyes narrowed. "But in case they had been sent by that witch, I think we should prepare that trap. Just in case we have more visitors." His lips formed a thin smile.   
  
  
END OF PART 7 


	8. Chapter 8

TITLE: NEIGHBORS  
AUTHOR: RFK  
SERIES: CHA  
CODE: All Characters  
RATING: [PG] Mild adult language   
SUMMARY: While battling a new warlock threat, Cole and the Charmed Ones meet his new neighbor. Set in alternate early Season 5.   
FEEDBACK: june_daley@rocketmail.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.  
DISCLAIMER: The Charmed Ones, Cole, Leo, Darryl and other characters related to Charmed belong to Spelling, Kern, Burge and WB. Dammit!  
  
  
  
"NEIGHBORS" - Part 8  
  
The manor's doorbell rang constantly, luring Piper downstairs to the foyer. She reached the bottom of the staircase, strolled toward the front door and opened it. In the doorway stood a frantic Darryl Morris. "Hey Darryl," she greeted. "What brings you here?"  
  
The police inspector brushed past Piper and into the house. "Where in the hell have you all been?" he demanded. "I've been trying to reach you all day!"  
  
"Well, I've spent the better part of the day visiting my gynecologist and trying to book this new group for the club. Paige went to Sausalito to visit one of her Matthews cousins. And I believe Phoebe has been locked in her office all day, trying to catch up on the letters for her column. You know, now that I think about it, we've all been pretty . . ."  
  
"Piper!" Darryl placed his hands on her shoulders. "Is everyone here, now?"  
  
Seeing the consternation in Darryl's eyes, Piper immediately sensed trouble. "What's wrong? Has something happened?" she demanded. "Has another dead witch been found?" Before Darryl could answer, Piper called for her sisters. "Paige! Phoebe!"  
  
A minute later, the other two Halliwells descended the staircase. "What's wrong, Piper?" Phoebe demanded. "Has something happened?"  
  
Darryl shook his head. "Not yet. But I have some news." He paused to catch his breath. "Olivia McNeill has a lead on those warlocks you've been looking for."  
  
"She has?" Paige demanded. "What kind of lead?"  
  
Piper and her sisters listened with rapt attention, as Darryl revealed Olivia's discovery. It seemed the Crozat Coven owned a corporation called Malehex and one of its holdings was a San Francisco-based company called the Tower Bay Import/Export. "Did she give you an address?" Piper asked.  
  
"Well yeah," Darryl answered, "but she said . . ."  
  
"Never mind that," Phoebe interrupted. "What's the address?"  
  
Darryl sighed. "_______ Bayshore Boulevard. But Olivia said . . ."  
  
This time, Piper interrupted. "Let's go. Paige can orb us there."  
  
"Wait a minute!" Darryl shouted. "Before you barge into there like John Wayne, I better tell you that Olivia said not to go."  
  
The sisters stared at the inspector, as if he had lost his mind. "Why would she say that?" Paige demanded.  
  
Barely containing his patience, Darryl continued, "Look, Olivia said to lay low, until you get a call from her. She also said something about reconnoitering the place, before going after the warlocks. Maybe you should follow her advice."  
  
"We'd love to oblige," Piper commented sarcastically, "but we can't sit around and wait for Inspector McNeill to make plans, when there's a chance that another witch might get killed. Phoebe. Paige."  
  
The three sisters linked hands. Before Paige could orb them out of the manor, Phoebe let out a gasp. Her eyes glazed over for a few seconds. Then she automatically released Paige's hands.  
  
"What is it?" the youngest Charmed One asked.  
  
After a large gulp of air, Phoebe replied, "I just had a premonition. About us. We orbed into the middle of this warehouse and got caught into this trap set by warlocks. We couldn't get out. Even without Piper's combustion power. But they were able to kill us. With athames."  
  
Both Piper and Paige fell silent. Darryl added, "Now will you wait for Olivia's call?"  
  
Paige was the first to recover from Phoebe's revelation. "I say we should leave now. Like Phoebe said, it's better we go after those warlocks than take the chance of another witch getting killed."   
  
"What about my premonition?" Phoebe asked uneasily.  
  
The oldest Halliwell responded, "Paige can orb us outside the warehouse. Phoebe?" The latter took hold of Paige's other hand. And the Charmed Ones orbed out of the manor.  
  
* * * *   
  
Harry McNeill sat in the middle of his bedroom at the McNeill manor, deep in meditation. Just as his mind visualized himself stepping on that last stone toward the hut - his sacred place - a vision flashed before his eyes. A vision of the Charmed Ones being trapped in a warehouse filled with warlock. He let out a gasp and his eyes flew open.   
  
Did he just . . .? Was that a premonition he had just witnessed? But it was impossible! Harry knew that he did not possess the power of premonition. Like his grandmother Elise, he possessed telepathy. He read and had the power to control the minds of others. So had he read someone else's premonition?   
  
The only person he knew that had such a power was the middle Charmed One - Phoebe Halliwell. And since that vision involved the Halliwells, Harry could only conclude that they might be in danger. Unless Phoebe's premonition convinced them to change plans.   
  
Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes. If only he could focus upon Phoebe's thoughts again. Or those that belonged to the other Halliwells. After another few minutes of meditation, Harry made a psychic connection to another Halliwell. Piper. The sisters had just appeared outside the warehouse. Which meant there was a good chance they might be in danger, after all.  
  
Fearful of any possible trouble, Harry called for his whitelighter. "Leo! LEE-OO!" The whitelighter failed to appear. The twenty-five year-old heaved a frustrated sigh, reached for his telephone and dialed the number to his sister's cell phone.  
  
* * * *   
  
"Are you sure?" Olivia demanded. She stood off to the side of an empty corridor, inside the police station.  
  
Harry's voice replied, "Yeah, I'm sure. I think I might have read one of Phoebe Halliwell's premonitions. That's one of her powers, right?"  
  
Olivia took a deep breath and mentally cursed the Halliwells. They obviously decided not to heed Darryl's message, after he told them about the warehouse. Unless . . . "Maybe we don't have anything to worry about," she said to Harry. "Maybe they decided to wait for me after Phoebe's premonition."  
  
"I'm afraid not, Liv." A pause followed, before Harry spoke up. "I managed to read the thoughts of another Halliwell. Piper, I think. They had decided to go to the warehouse, after all. Despite the premonition. And I can't reach Leo."  
  
Another curse escaped Olivia's mouth. Then she sighed. "Okay. Listen. Get ready to leave and pick a few vials of Mom's vanquishing potions, while you're at it. I'll be there in a few minutes."  
  
"A few . . . How?"  
  
"Trust me, I'll find a way," Olivia quickly replied. "Just be ready." She disconnected the line, before dialing a new number. One that belonged to Cole Turner's penthouse.  
  
After a few rings, Phoebe Halliwell's ex-husband answered, "Hello?"  
  
"Cole!" Olivia declared in breathless relief. "This is Olivia. I need your help. It's about those warlocks that have been killing wit . . ." A second later, Cole appeared before her, looking concerned. "Wow! That was quick!"  
  
Cole said in a curt voice, "You said something about warlocks. Where are they?"  
  
"Actually, I know where they are. The problem is that Darryl told Phoebe and her sisters about the warlocks and there's a good chance they might be in trouble. We need to pick up Harry, first."  
  
Cole took hold of Olivia's hand. "Okay. Let's go." And the pair disappeared from the corridor.  
  
* * * *   
  
Less than a minute later, Olivia, Cole and Harry reappeared in the parking lot of Tower Bay Imports/Exports. And the Charmed Ones were no where to be seen. "Where are they?" Olivia vented in frustration.  
  
Harry closed his eyes for a few seconds. Then, "Inside. They've just been captured. I wonder just how powerful these warlocks are? I mean, they captured the Charmed Ones?"  
  
A grim Cole replied, "Why don't we find out?" He strode toward the building. The two McNeills followed. Soon, all three found themselves peeking through one of the building's low windows.  
  
The trio glanced inside and saw the Charmed Ones trapped within a dome-shaped force field. Piper Halliwell seemed to be making some kind of effort to break through the trap, using magic. But to no avail.  
  
"It's useless," Phillip Crozat declared triumphantly. "You can't break free. Not even with the Power of Three. We found an old spell that once belonged to the Seer - you remember her, don't you? She had used it to create an inescapable cage. Mind you, our trap is not as powerful as hers - alone. But with the power of the coven, along with those belonging to three witches we've killed - it's impregnable. Even the old Source would find it difficult to escape.  
  
Phoebe shot back, "It's a shame you didn't think of that, some years ago."  
  
Nodding, Crozat added, "You're right about that. But with the Triad, the Seer alive and the Brotherhood of the Thorn breathing down our necks, we could have never created such a trap. Or attempt to grab control of the Underworld. But thanks to you, both the Source and the Seer is gone for good. And the demonic world is in a shambles . . ."  
  
Olivia returned her attention back to Cole and Harry. "Okay," she whispered, "does anyone have a plan?"  
  
Both men stared at her in shock. "What are you talking about? Don't you have a plan?" Cole demanded.  
  
"Of course not! I had thought about coming up with something with the Charmed Ones. Unfortunately, they decided to attack head on like Custer at Little Big Horn!"  
  
Cole grumbled, "All right! I get the picture." Then he sighed. "I think . . . I think I might have a plan. Or at least a distraction. If I can . . ."  
  
Harry interrupted with a muted cry. "Someone's coming!"  
  
Sure enough, a figure clad in black appeared from around the corner. Another Crozat, Olivia surmised. She hissed at Cole, "Get rid of him!"  
  
"Like what? Kill him?"  
  
Olivia shot back, "Well do something! Now!"  
  
The warlock finally caught sight of the trio. Before he could do anything, Cole turned into an innate object. A pebble. Olivia sighed with relief and she, along with her two companions, returned their attention to the conversation inside.  
  
An athame appeared in Phillip Crozat's hand. The same happened with the other warlocks inside the warehouse. They all moved toward the trapped Charmed Ones. "What's that for?" an obviously disturbed Paige asked.  
  
Phillip Crozat's thin lips stretched into an evil grin. "To kill you, of course. And steal your powers."  
  
Piper asked, "How do you propose to do that, with us inside this trap?"  
  
"I forgot to mention." Crozat tossed his athame back and forth in his hands. "Although you're unable to get out, our magic can get inside. Like the Seer's cage." He raised the knife, using telekinesis. The other warlocks followed his example.  
  
Olivia turned to Cole. "I think it's time to use your plan," she whispered. "When do we attack?"  
  
"When I kill a second warlock," the half-demon murmured.  
  
Harry frowned. "A second?"  
  
But Cole blurred out of view before an explanation could be given.  
  
  
END OF PART 8 


	9. Chapter 9

TITLE: NEIGHBORS  
AUTHOR: RFK  
SERIES: CHA  
CODE: All Characters  
RATING: [PG] Mild adult language   
SUMMARY: While battling a new warlock threat, Cole and the Charmed Ones meet his new neighbor. Set in alternate early Season 5.   
FEEDBACK: june_daley@rocketmail.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.  
DISCLAIMER: The Charmed Ones, Cole, Leo, Darryl and other characters related to Charmed belong to Spelling, Kern, Burge and WB. Dammit!  
  
  
  
"NEIGHBORS" - Part 9  
  
From inside the warlocks' trap, Phoebe felt a familiar portent of impending doom. And her feeling had nothing to do with a premonition of any kind. But it felt hard to dismiss such feelings while a group of warlocks carrying athames approached with evil intent on their faces.  
  
Phoebe sighed. How she wished that she, Piper and Paige had heeded Olivia McNeill's advice to stay away. It seemed ironic that within a period of six months, the Charmed Ones would find themselves in a trap similar to the one that the Seer had imprisoned them within. Only this time, they would not be able to deflect the warlocks' attack. Especially since the latter planned to use a good old-fashioned stab fest to kill the sisters.  
  
The dark-haired leader of the warlock coven raised his hand to send the athame into one of the Charmed Ones. Before he could, a figure in black materialized beside him. Phoebe's heart literally jumped with relief. It was Cole.  
  
"What the . . .?" Crozat stared at Cole in shock. "Who the hell are you?"  
  
Cole's mouth stretched into a smirk. "What's the matter, Crozat? Forgotten me, already?"  
  
The warlock's eyes grew wide. "Belthazor? But I thought you were dead?"  
  
"Well, Belthazor is," Cole coolly replied. "Have been for at least a year. I was even the Source for a while. Which brings me to here." He seared the Charmed Ones with a death glare. Phoebe shivered.  
  
Crozat declared, "The Source? I had heard about a new Source, last spring. But he was vanquished by the Charmed Ones."  
  
"That's right." Cole continued to glare at the Halliwells. "But I survived. Ironically, thanks to my human side." His eyes veered back to Crozat. "And I'm here to take back what's mine."  
  
Crozat sneered. "Take back what? Your loving bride?"  
  
Blue eyes that once looked at Phoebe with love and passion, now regarded the warlock with icy rage. Crozat immediately assumed a more humble expression. "The only thing I want back is the Source's power. And the only way I can achieve that is through their whitelighter."  
  
One of the warlocks cried out, "What a load of crap! He's lying! How can a whitelighter help him become the Source? I say we kill him now! He's just one demon." Before Phoebe could blink, Cole destroyed the dissenter with one quick fireball.  
  
"Anyone else want to doubt my word?" Cole challenged. The warlocks remained silent.  
  
Inside the trap, Paige whispered in a sarcastic tone, "I guess not. I see that Belthazor or maybe the Source is back. At least in spirit."  
  
"Paige!" Piper hissed. The younger woman remained silent.  
  
Phoebe, however, remained silent, as she continued to listen in on the conversation outside the trap. A frowning Crozat added, "Gregor was right. How can a whitelighter help you become the Source again?"  
  
Cole nonchantlantly replied, "Easy. The Charmed Ones' whitelighter was the one who hid the Grimoire. And whoever possesses it, can become the Source. I intend to get my hands on that Grimoire."  
  
"Leo destroyed the Grimoire, right?" a worried Paige asked.  
  
Piper sighed. "Of course he did! He tossed it into the volcano."  
  
"But that doesn't mean it was destroyed."  
  
Irritated by their chatter, Phoebe snapped at her sisters. "Hey you two! Can you please keep it down?"  
  
"Why bother?" Paige retorted. "It's plain that Cole wants to become the Source, again. At least he can't use possession as an excuse, this time. I wonder how he plans to use Leo."  
  
Phoebe shot back, "Well, if you just keep quiet for one moment, we'll find out!" Everyone fell silent and continued to listen to the conversation outside the trap.  
  
"What makes you think the whitelighter will tell you where to find it?" Crozat asked. Phoebe assumed he was referring to the Grimoire.  
  
Cole replied, "You've got the Charmed Ones. You can kill them and steal their powers. But not until I lure their whitelighter here and get him to retrieve the Grimoire for me. He'll do anything to keep them alive. Especially his wife . . . who's carrying his child." Cole glanced at Piper. "He's broken the rules for her, before."  
  
"Oh no!" Piper murmured to her sisters. "He's not serious, is he?"  
  
Before Phoebe could reply, she caught sight of a flash of red in front of the one of the warehouse's windows. Red hair. Seconds later, her eyes adjusted to the sight of Olivia McNeill climbing through that window. The police inspector was followed by another redhead. Her brother, Harry McNeill. "Piper, Paige!" Phoebe hissed. "Look over there. Near the second window from the right. It's Olivia and Harry McNeill."  
  
Piper frowned. "What are they doing here?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious? They're here to help us. And Cole. He must be distracting the warlocks."  
  
A doubtful Paige added, "Are you sure? Maybe the good inspector found out about Cole."  
  
"Paige." To Phoebe's relief, the hard tone in her voice convinced Paige to keep quiet. The three sisters watched in silence, as the two McNeill siblings cautiously positioned themselves for an attack. Cole, however, continued his conversation with the warlock leader.  
  
". . . all a good story, Belthazor," Crozat was saying. "But you haven't told us how you plan to lure their whitelighter here."  
  
Casually, Cole turned his back on Crozat and glanced around. Then he gave the warlock a chilling smile. A smile that Phoebe found disturbing. "Simple," he said. Then with a flick of his wrist, he vanquished another warlock.  
  
The next thing Phoebe knew, all hell had broken loose. At least for the warlocks. While Cole continued to fireball more warlocks, Olivia McNeill sent others flying across the room and into large crates and the walls. Others she knocked unconscious using martial arts skills that Phoebe could only envy. One warlock flung an athame toward her direction. Fortunately, she used her telekinesis to counter the attack and bury it into the warlock's chest.  
  
Harry McNeill, like his sister, used martial arts on the warlocks. And he used something else that Phoebe could not see. She saw him stare at a pair of warlocks. Who eventually stabbed themselves with their athames. And the realization finally hit Phoebe. "Of course! He's a telepath!" she murmured. Subliminal suggestions.  
  
Paige asked, "What did you say?"  
  
"Harry McNeill. Didn't you see him? He used his telepathic abilities to force those warlocks to kill themselves."  
  
Piper said, "Never mind that. I think this trap is weakening. See?" She pointed at the force shield and a hole immediately formed, thanks to her combustion power.  
  
"Try it again," Paige suggested. Which Piper did. A second hole appeared. "Maybe if you keep using your power, the trap will finally break."  
  
Piper retorted, "Are you kidding? I'm only punching holes in this thing!"  
  
Phoebe added, "Maybe the only way for Piper to break free is for more warlocks to disappear. Remember, they're using the combination of their powers to keep this trap intact." She glanced at their saviors. To her relief, the McNeills and Cole were still alive. And kicking ass.  
  
To Phoebe's right, Harry dispatched more warlocks using his telepathy. One warlock managed to jump him from behind. Fortunately, Harry viciously elbowed the latter in the gut, before knocking him down with a well-placed blow to the face. Before the warlock could recover, Harry tossed a small vial at him, and the warlock disintegrated in a ball of flames.  
  
A small group of warlocks suddenly formed a circle around Cole and Olivia, causing the latter to gasp. Cole disappeared out of sight. A second later, he reappeared behind one warlock and quickly snapped the latter's neck. Then he reappeared behind another warlock. One quick twist and -snap- that warlock was dead.  
  
A blond-haired female warlock in a security guard's uniform threw an athame at Cole. Olivia used her telekinesis to redirect the weapon, sending it straight into the warlock's throat. She flung another warlock against the wall, causing his back to make impact into a jutting hook.  
  
Rage filled the dark eyes of the warlocks' leader. He stuck his arm out and sent a line of flames toward Olivia, much to Phoebe's horror. Now she knew who had killed that warlock in Candlestick Park, last Saturday. She blinked and the next thing she knew, Olivia and Crozat had changed places. Leaving the warlock leader to feel the impact of the flames. Cole. There could be no other explanation. Her ex-husband had just saved Olivia, using the same power he had used when he had saved Phoebe from Agent Jackman's bullet, last spring.  
  
With Crozat and many other warlocks dead, the power holding the trap around the Charmed Ones, faltered. Once more, Piper used her combustion power to break the force field . . . and finally succeeded. The destruction of the trap seemed to stun the remaining warlocks, forcing them to reel about in confusion.  
  
"Stand back!" Olivia barked. Once everyone followed her order, she used her telekinesis to gather all of the warlocks - alive and the remaining dead - to the same spot where the Charmed Ones had been held. Then the red-haired witch glanced at the Halliwells. "Okay, ladies."  
  
Phoebe, Piper and Paige stared at Olivia, then at each other. "Jeez! Did you see that?" the youngest sister muttered.  
  
"Hello! The Power of Three! Use a spell to get rid of them now!" Olivia seemed to be using her power to hold those warlocks still alive, at bay.  
  
Her sisters faced Phoebe, as she struggled to create an impromptu spell. Unfortunately, this evening's events had left her in somewhat confused. And she found herself unable to think of a spell to vanquish all of the warlocks.  
  
"What's the matter?" a concerned Piper asked. "Can't you think of a spell?"  
  
Phoebe stared at her older sister in panic. "No. Can you?"  
  
Olivia cried out, "Hey! What's taking you so long? I can't hold them forever!"  
  
"Oh, uh, . . . evil that has formed here," Phoebe began. Then, "No, wait! Let's try . . . no."  
  
An exasperated sigh left Olivia's mouth. She turned to the half-demon. "Cole! Could you, please?"  
  
Cole nodded. Then he formed an enormous fireball in his hands and tossed it at the warlocks. Every one of them, whether they were alive, unconscious or dead, disappeared into a ball of explosion. Olivia shook her head with mild disbelief. "You are such a ham," she said with a teasing smile.  
  
"It takes one to know one," Cole shot back. He was also smiling. Which disturbed Phoebe. Very much. She could almost feel the hot knife of jealousy, twisting in her gut.  
  
Piper mumbled to her sisters, "Well, that's great. The Charmed Ones saved by two witches and a demon. Boy, do I feel like an eunuch." Phoebe could not have said it any better.  
  
  
END OF PART 5 


	10. Chapter 10

TITLE: NEIGHBORS  
AUTHOR: RFK  
SERIES: CHA  
CODE: All Characters  
RATING: [PG] Mild adult language   
SUMMARY: While battling a new warlock threat, Cole and the Charmed Ones meet his new neighbor. Set in alternate early Season 5.   
FEEDBACK: june_daley@rocketmail.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.  
DISCLAIMER: The Charmed Ones, Cole, Leo, Darryl and other characters related to Charmed belong to Spelling, Kern, Burge and WB. Dammit!  
  
  
  
"NEIGHBORS" - Part 10  
  
The following morning saw Olivia among the first in her squad to report for work. However, there seemed to be one person who had already arrived. Namely Darryl Morris.  
  
"Good morning!" she greeted her colleague with a cheerful smile. "You're bright and early, for once." Olivia knew that Darryl had never been considered an early bird in their squad. Which meant he wanted to speak with her. She smirked. "Oh, oh! You must have been waiting for me."  
  
Darryl placed a sheet of paper on Olivia's desk. "That's right, I have."  
  
"What's this?" Olivia picked up the sheet of paper.  
  
"A report from a patrolman. I found it in Thompson's in-box, before I went home, last night. Apparently, he and his partner were driving along Bayshore Drive, when they saw unusual lights from the Tower Bay warehouse. When they went to investigate, Thompson and his partner heard more sounds of explosions and a scream. You know, that sort of thing."  
  
Green eyes widened. "Really?"  
  
Darryl rolled his eyes. "Yes, really. When Thompson checked inside the warehouse, he and his partner found nothing." He paused dramatically. "Except for a scorch mark on the east wall." A sigh left Darryl's mouth. "Now, I'm glad that you're all safe. Or else you wouldn't be here, smiling like a cat with canaries in her mouth. I just . . ." Both he and Olivia spotted a clerk entered the squad room. "I just want to know what happened."  
  
Olivia glanced at the newcomer. She sat on the chair behind her desk. "If you must know, we got rid of the warlocks."  
  
"You and the Charmed Ones?"  
  
A loud scoff escaped from Olivia's mouth. "No, actually it was my brother Harry, Cole Turner, and me."  
  
"What happened to . . .?" A knowing look creased Darryl's face. "Wait. Don't tell me. You had to rescue the Halliwells."  
  
Olivia sighed. "I'm afraid so. It's a good thing that Harry was able to read Phoebe's premonition. He's telepathic."  
  
Darryl shook his head. "Please. Don't tell me. I don't wanna know anymore than I do."  
  
"But I thought you wanted to know everything."  
  
Darryl shot back, "I wanted to know what happened inside that warehouse. Not about your brother."  
  
A tall figure strode into the squad room. It belonged to their supervisor, Captain Thompson. He glanced at the two inspectors. "Morris, McNeill, I'm glad to see you both, here. See me in my office. In five minutes." The he continued on toward his office.  
  
The two friends glanced at each other. "What was that about?" Olivia asked.  
  
"You got me," Darryl said as he shrugged. "Getting back to the subject, you say that Cole helped you rescue the Halliwells? I guess this will finally put him back in Phoebe's good graces."  
  
Darryl's words hit Olivia like a punch in the gut. "Oh. I never thought about that." Nor did she really want to.  
  
* * * *   
  
The telephone rang three times before a voice on the other end of the receiver announced, "Hello?"  
  
Phoebe took a deep breath. "Cole?"  
  
A pause followed. Then, "Phoebe? Is that you?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Cole's voice hesitated. "Uh, is there something wrong? Why did you call?"  
  
Now it was Phoebe's turn to hesitate. Why could she say? Cole called out her name again. "Phoebe? Are you there?"  
  
She sighed. "Yeah. I . . . uh, I just wanted to thank you, again. For saving us from those warlocks."  
  
"You're welcome. Although I wouldn't have been able to do it without Olivia or Harry's help."  
  
Phoebe grunted. "Yeah. Well . . . with or without their help, thanks."  
  
Silence greeted Phoebe's last words. Then Cole said, "Uh, was there any other reason why you called?" Phoebe thought she heard hope in his voice.  
  
Was there another reason? Why was she calling him anyway? To reunite with him? It was the last thing she wanted. After all of the trauma over the Source, Phoebe realized that she could not deal with the uncertainly of Cole turning evil again. Not while he possessed those powers he had received from the Wasteland. But she could not say so over the telephone. Besides, Cole knew how she felt.  
  
Phoebe took a deep breath. "No. I just wanted to say thanks. Again."  
  
"You're welcome." Cole's voice now sounded flat. "Bye Phoebe."  
  
The telephone receiver went dead. Phoebe whispered, "Good-bye." And she hung up the telephone.  
  
"Who was that?" a cheerful Paige asked, as she and Piper entered the Sun Room.  
  
Phoebe murmured, "Cole."  
  
Her sisters' expressions sobered at the mention of her ex-husband. Especially Paige's. Piper's eyes also radiated concern. "Oh? What did he want?" She sat down on the sofa, next to Phoebe.  
  
"He didn't call. I did."  
  
Paige demanded, "And why did you do that?"  
  
"This has nothing to do with yesterday, does it?" Piper asked, shooting the youngest with a quick glare.  
  
Phoebe took a deep breath. "Well, I figured that he deserved a thank you for saving us from those warlocks. After all, we practically ignored him, yesterday."  
  
The other two Halliwells looked slightly abashed. Piper spoke up. "Maybe we did seemed a little ungrateful. But Phoebe, are you sure there's nothing more to your phone call?"  
  
"Like what?" Phoebe warily asked.  
  
Piper glanced at Paige, who shrugged. The former continued, "Like Cole . . . and Olivia McNeill." Piper paused. "And the way they sort of . . . well, smiled at each other. Maybe you don't like the idea of Cole becoming close with another woman."  
  
Paige added, "Yeah. Especially with Olivia. Heck, they almost seemed like kindred spirits."  
  
"Paige!" Piper's eyes flashed with irritation. "Could you please . . .?"  
  
But the youngest Halliwell continued on with her usual bluntness. "What? I mean, we all noticed! I know I did. And Phoebe? Don't take this the wrong way, but maybe this is a sign that you and Cole aren't simply made to be together. Maybe it's time to move on, like you keep telling him."  
  
Once more, Piper admonished Paige. But the latter's words further twist the knife Phoebe has been feeling in her gut, since yesterday evening. As she struggled to overcome her quixotic feelings about Cole, she asked in a trembling voice, "Where's Leo? I haven't seen him since yesterday morning."  
  
"Meeting with the bosses, I suppose," Piper muttered. The moment she had spoken, her husband appeared in his familiar sea of blue lights. "Oh! Speak of the devil."  
  
Leo planted a light kiss on Piper's forehead. "I don't know if I like the idea of being referred to as a devil."  
  
"Where have you been?" Piper demanded.  
  
Leo replied, "Sorry, but I was with a charge in London."  
  
"London? Cool!" Paige expressed excitement.  
  
"Yeah. And I was also with the Founders. They're very relieved that the Crozat Coven was prevented from becoming the major power in the Underworld. They were pretty powerful, you know. And large."  
  
Piper caustically remarked, "Shouldn't you be at Olivia McNeill's apartment, telling her this? After all, she was the one responsible for stopping them."  
  
"Oh. Well, yeah. I had also heard about that," Leo added. "That's why I plan to see her, this evening."  
  
Ever since she saw the red-haired witch in action, Phoebe had a question in her mind. "Speaking of Olivia, remember when you told us that we were slightly more powerful witches? Well, just how much is slightly? I mean, you should have seen her, Leo. Not even Prue's telekinesis was that strong."  
  
"That's because Prue's power had not been fully developed when she died," Leo replied. "And Olivia has been developing her power for a longer period of time. Come to think of it, she still isn't fully developed yet. The same goes for Bruce and Harry."  
  
Piper stared at her husband in shock. "You've got to be kidding! Both she and Harry were like super witches! Or something like that."  
  
Leo gave his wife what looked like a chastising stare. "That's because they both took the time to not only control their powers, but also develop them." Piper rolled her eyes. "Besides, like I said before, all of you are only slightly more powerful than the McNeills. And I do mean slightly." Leo hesitated. "And there's also the prophecy."  
  
Phoebe and the other Charmed Ones frowned at their whitelighter. "Prophecy? What are you talking about?" Phoebe asked.  
  
The whitelighter paused. He seemed very reluctant to continue.  
  
"Come on, Leo! Give," Phoebe argued. "The genie is already out of the bottle."  
  
After a heartfelt sigh, Leo finally continued, "There's a rumor about a prophecy that concerns both the Warren and McNeill lines. It's rumored that both lines will eventually come together in marriage and produce the most powerful magical being ever."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Paige demanded. "I thought we were supposed to be the most powerful witches, ever."  
  
"I said the most powerful magical being, not witch."  
  
Leo's words reminded Phoebe of the Seer. The former demon had once revealed that if she and Cole - when he was the Source - had been married by a regular priest or minister, their baby would have been a powerful force of good. Phoebe still doubted the Seer's words. She simply could not comprehend the idea of a witch and a demon producing such a child. Not while there was the demonic element to consider.  
  
"So, does anyone have an idea which one of us will help bring about this prophecy?" Paige asked, interrupting Phoebe's thoughts.  
  
Leo shrugged. "Who knows?"  
  
"Speaking of the McNeills . . ." Piper raced out of the room, perplexing her sisters and husband. A few minutes later, she returned, holding a cake encased inside a plastic covering. "This is Grams' famous Coconut cake. Sort of a peace offering to old Mrs. McNeill for what happened on Sunday. Since you'll be seeing Olivia, could you give it to her, so she can give it to her grandmother?" Piper handed the cake to Leo.  
  
Who handed the cake back to Piper. "Why don't you give it to Mrs. McNeill, herself? We can stop by the McNeill manor after we see Olivia. Shouldn't you all present this cake to Mrs. McNeill? In person?"  
  
The three sisters exchanged long-suffering looks. Eating crow has never been a Halliwell forte.  
  
  
END OF PART 10 


	11. Chapter 11

TITLE: NEIGHBORS  
AUTHOR: RFK  
SERIES: CHA  
CODE: All Characters  
RATING: [PG] Mild adult language   
SUMMARY: While battling a new warlock threat, Cole and the Charmed Ones meet his new neighbor. Set in alternate early Season 5.   
FEEDBACK: june_daley@rocketmail.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.  
DISCLAIMER: The Charmed Ones, Cole, Leo, Darryl and other characters related to Charmed belong to Spelling, Kern, Burge and WB. Dammit!  
  
NOTE: Spoilers to "Magic Wears a Mask" and other Season 5 episodes, up to "Sam I Am".  
  
  
  
"NEIGHBORS" - Part 11  
  
"That was a delicious meal, Mrs. McNeill," Cole commented to Olivia's mother. "Especially the London Broil. I haven't had a meal like that since . . . well, in a long time." Over eight months ago, Cole privately calculated. Since the night before he and Phoebe had first moved into the penthouse.  
  
The half-demon and the McNeills had gathered inside the large, well-furnished drawing of the McNeill manor. They just completed one of Gweneth McNeill's succulent meals.  
  
The red-haired and still beautiful middle-aged woman flashed a bright smile at Cole. "I'm glad that you enjoyed it. And you might as well call me Gweneth. It's a shame that you didn't try a slice of my six-layer Eggnog cake."  
  
"Yeah," Harry added, "it's one of her specialties. And it's a big seller at Morgan's bakery."  
  
Cole promised to sample a slice of the cake before he left. "I noticed that Olivia didn't eat a slice, either." He gave his neighbor a sly smile. "On a diet?"  
  
Olivia wrinkled her pert nose in protest. "You're a real sweetheart, aren't you, Turner? If you must know, I barely had any room in my stomach to finish dinner. It's what I get for not eating, today."  
  
"Busy day?" her father asked.  
  
A sigh left Olivia's mouth. "Are you kidding? Captain Thompson has started this major investigation on the Tower Bay Company. It seems no one can explain the sudden disappearance of the company's employees. Or the disturbance reported by some patrolman."  
  
Jack McNeill's eyebrows quirked upward. "Really? Is it a bit premature to say that the Crozat Coven is gone for good?"  
  
"I don't know," Olivia said with a shrug. "My friend in Seattle told me that the Malehex Corporation was in the process of moving its operation to San Francisco. And there is still that warlock whom Cole turned into a pebble. I haven't been able to find him, today."  
  
Cole spoke up. "The pebble . . . I mean, he's probably still there. I'll help you try to find him, tomorrow. However, I wouldn't dismiss the Crozats so easily, if I were you. Although much of the Brotherhood of the Thorn had been destroyed during the last Source's coronation." Cole paused, as he realized that he had just referred to his unborn son. Then again . . . maybe not. He continued, "I suspect that several members might still be at large. And I've been keeping an eye out for any of them."  
  
Elise McNeill eyed the half-demon with interest. "Now, I know that not all upper-level demons were part of the Brotherhood." Cole stared at her, impressed that she knew that much about his former organization. "I'm simply curious as to how YOU became a member. How old are you, by the way?"  
  
A hesitant Cole answered, "Uh, 117 years old."  
  
The McNeill men whistled in appreciation. Olivia and Gweneth's eyes grew round. But the old lady did not seem that impressed. Interesting. "Really?" she said. "Not exactly old for a demon. Most demons join the Brotherhood at an older age. How did someone your age managed to join?"  
  
Again, Cole hesitated.  
  
"You might as well tell her," Olivia told him. "You've told me."  
  
Gweneth perked up. "Really? When did that happen?"  
  
"Last Sunday," Olivia replied.  
  
Cole added, "I suppose you want to hear the whole story."  
  
In her blunt manner, Mrs. McNeill replied, "Dear boy, we've been dying to hear about your life story. Ever since Olivia first met you."  
  
"Gran!"  
  
"Well, it's the truth!" the elderly woman protested.  
  
Cole could not help but smile at Elise McNeill's bluntness. She reminded him of Olivia. To the point, but without the self-righteousness he had encountered over the past few years. "That's okay. I don't mind," he said. "But it's a long story."  
  
"Don't worry about that. Telepathy has a way of making a long story, short," Mrs. McNeill said with a smile.  
  
His eyes widened immediately. "Telepathy?"  
  
"Of course." Realization lit up the elderly woman's gray eyes. "Unless you have a problem with me reading your mind."  
  
Cole's first instinct was to reject her offer. He valued his privacy too much, to expose his thoughts to a telepath. But he had been a lonely man for the past several months. Meeting Olivia and her family made him realize that his two years with the Halliwells have made him long for company. And the opportunity to tell someone about his problems. His revelations to Olivia had seemed like a relief. Maybe he would feel an even greater relief once the McNeills learned what led him to becoming the Source. And to his break-up with Phoebe. If there was anything Cole now longed for was the load off his shoulders.  
  
"Okay," he finally relented. "I guess I wouldn't mind."  
  
Mrs. McNeill nodded her head. "Good. Bruce honey, bring that chair over here so that Cole can sit in front of me." Olivia's older brother did as he was told. Once the chair was in place, Cole sat in it. "Now, just relax and allow your memories to be released," she added. "As they come to me, I'll project them to the others. If you don't mind."  
  
"I don't."  
  
"Good." Mrs. McNeill's hands hovered over Cole's temples. He took a deep breath and relaxed. The next thing Cole knew, his memories of the past two years rushed back to him. Everything. Well, except for those more intimate moments with Phoebe, thank goodness.  
  
When it ended, Cole took another deep breath. The McNeills did the same. "Well, that was certainly interesting," Mrs. McNeill said in a breathless tone. "As Harry would say - wow!"  
  
Jack McNeill added, "It would make quite an interesting story. A bestseller on the Wiccan literary underground."  
  
His wife added, "Including what happened to Ed Miller." She gave Cole a pointed stare. "So you were the one responsible for his . . disappearance. I guess you paid for it."  
  
A hot flush washed over Cole's face. Memories of Phoebe's reaction to that little incident returned to him in full force. "Not exactly one of my finest hours, I admit."  
  
"Well, vanquishing him did seem a bit . . . drastic." Gweneth McNeill continued, "What you should have done is ask Leo to give him memory dust. Or turn him into a dog. And drop him in the middle of on-going traffic."  
  
Olivia cried out in protest, "Mom!" Even Cole felt shocked by the older woman's remark.  
  
Gweneth shrugged. "You all know how I felt about Mister Edward Miller. The man was scum. Did you know that a young boy died in one of his buildings, after being bitten by a rat? And that . . . that bastard avoided prosecution by blackmailing several city officials. Everyone knows it's true, even though no one will prosecute him."  
  
"She has a point," Elise McNeill added. "What you did was wrong, Cole. And you paid for it in true Wiccan style, I gather. Considering what you endured afterward. But I must admit . . . what happened to Ed Miller was poetic justice. He avoided responsibility of a death through blackmail. And because of blackmail, he was killed." She shook her head. "Poetic justice." When Cole saw that the other McNeills nodded in agreement, he realized that they possessed a moral code that would appall the Halliwells. Although it did suit him.  
  
Bruce turned to Cole. "Uh, there is one other matter that I'm curious about."  
  
Feeling somewhat uneasy, Cole asked, "Like what?"  
  
"What in the hell made you think you could trust the Seer?" Bruce demanded in astonished tones. "Were you that stupid?"  
  
Once again, Olivia defended her friend. "Okay, Bruce. That's enough!"  
  
"What? Don't tell me that you didn't find that stupid? I did."  
  
Jack McNeill piped up. "I have to admit, so did I."  
  
An outraged Oliva continued, "Okay, so did I." Cole shot her an astonished look. "But he was in a desperate situation. Couldn't you see that?"  
  
Sighing heavily, both Jack and Bruce admitted that they understood. The older man continued, "I probably would have done the same, to save all of you."  
  
"Thanks," Cole murmured sarcastically. He turned to Olivia. "So, you believe I'm stupid?"  
  
Green eyes radiated innocence. "Not really. Just . . . short-sighted. Rash. Besides, can you blame any of us for thinking that?"  
  
Before Cole could answer, the McNeills' manservant entered the room and announced the arrival of new visitors. A minute later, Cole was surprised to find himself greeting the Charmed Ones and Leo. Who also seemed surprised by Cole's presence. It seemed like a miracle to Cole that he managed to remain calm. Especially with Phoebe only standing a few feet away.  
  
"Well, look who's here," Elise McNeill greeted politely. Cole detected a touch of frost in her voice. Both Piper and Leo flinched. Much to his amusement.  
  
Clearing her throat nervously, Piper stepped forward. "Sorry to interrupt. We, uh . . . well, my sisters and I wanted to say thanks to Olivia and Harry for saving our lives, yesterday." She shot a quick glance at the half-demon. "And Cole."  
  
Mrs. McNeill's smile grew even more arch. "Well, that's nice of you, honey."  
  
"And we also want to apologize," Phoebe added. "For lying to you, on Sunday. Piper, uh . . . made a cake for you."  
  
Piper thrust the cake forward. "It's Coconut. From Grams' recipe."  
  
Both Mrs. McNeill and Gweneth gasped with delight. "What do you know? Penny's famous Coconut cake!" the former declared in breathless tones. "One of my favorites." Mrs. McNeill gave Piper a pointed stare. "May I assume that you followed your grandmother's recipe to the letter?" She took the cake and handed it to Davies.  
  
"To the letter," Piper said with a smile. "I hope you like it."  
  
"Oh, I'm sure I will. Gwen, is it okay if they each receive a piece of your cake?" The elderly woman turned to the Halliwells. "It's her six-layer Eggnog cake. One of Gwen's best."  
  
Now, it was Paige's turn to squeal with delight. "Ooo! I used to buy a slice or a whole cake every time I went to Morgan's. Is it the same kind?"  
  
"Of course, Paige," Gweneth replied, looking pleased. Then she ordered Davies to wrap four slices of the Eggnog cake. "Oh, I mean five. Wrap an extra slice for Mr. Turner as well, Davies."   
  
At the mention of Cole's name, the Halliwells stared at him. The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Then Olivia made an announcement. "Oh, I forgot to tell you all. Guess what happened this morning? Darryl and I became partners." She chuckled softly. "Poor Darryl. Can you imagine his expression when Captain Thompson told us the news? He always thought I was crazy. But now that he knows I'm a witch . . ." She broke off, chuckling again. Cole laughed softly to himself. He wished had been there to witness Darryl Morris' reaction.  
  
Leo brought up the subject of the Crozat Coven. "The Founders heard what happened. You can't imagine how relieved they are. The Crozats were in a good position to take over the Underworld. Fortunately, it's still in chaos."  
  
Elise McNeill grunted. "Hmmmph! If I were the Founders, I'd be worried, instead of relieved."  
  
The Halliwells and Leo frowned at the elderly woman's statement. "What are you saying?" Leo demanded. "With the Underworld in chaos, we don't have to worry about a new Source."  
  
The old woman sighed. "Oh Leo! And I thought you would understand. Don't you get it? With the Underworld in chaos, the balance between good and evil has been altered. It's out of whack. Surely you realize what that means?"  
  
Paige replied with a frown, "I certainly don't."  
  
"It means that sooner or later, the chaos in the Underworld will spread to where the whitelighters reside," Jack McNeill added. "And that can spell trouble for all of us. Unless the balance is restored."  
  
Now the Halliwells stared at Olivia's father, as if he had lost his mind. "Wait a minute!" a shocked Phoebe declared. "Are you saying that it would be a good idea if a new Source emerged?"  
  
"It's not something any of us relish," Gweneth McNeill calmly explained. "But with the Underworld in chaos, all of us might find ourselves in serious trouble in the near future. Witches and whitelighters. It's important to maintain a positive and negative balance in everything. Why do you think the Hollow is traditionally guarded by two - one who chooses good and one who chooses evil?"  
  
It seemed obvious to Cole that the McNeills' words had seriously disturbed the Charmed Ones and Leo. Cole, on the other hand, understood perfectly. He still recalled Phoebe telling him about a warlock's attempt to destroy the Founders. Such an act would have not only spelled disaster for witches and whitelighters, but trouble within the Underworld, as well. Demons, warlocks and many others would have surely fallen upon each other for control of the whitelighters' realm. And on a scale that would have meant trouble for the Source.  
  
A troubled Leo quickly nay-sayed the idea of a new Source. "There won't be a new leader of the Underworld. Well, we almost had one," he shot a dark glance at Cole, who merely stared back, "but it didn't last. Besides, without the Grimoire, I doubt there will be a new Source. I destroyed the book, last spring."  
  
"Are you sure that you destroyed it?" Mrs. McNeill asked in an ominous tone.  
  
Leo firmly added, "Trust me, it's destroyed. And it's a good thing. With the Underworld in chaos, maybe evil will finally destroy itself."  
  
Bruce frowned. "You don't really believe that, do you? C'mon Leo! You know that one cannot destroy evil. Maybe reject it or rise above it, but destroy it?"  
  
Once again, the drawing room fell silent. The Halliwells remained rooted to floor, looking as if someone had kicked them in the teeth. And the McNeills seemed to regard them as specimen underneath a microscope.  
  
Davies reappeared in the room and broke the uncomfortable silence. He held a cardboard box in his hands. Olivia let out a gust of breath. "Well, here's Davies with your cake. And just in time. It was about to get heavy in here with all that philosophical talk."  
  
Piper took the box, with a polite smile on her lips. "Well, thanks for the cake. And I hope you enjoy our present."  
  
Mrs. McNeill returned the smile. "I'm sure we will, honey. Thank you. By the way, will you be available for our next Sunday brunch?  
  
The three sisters hesitated. Exchanged brief glances. Cole already knew their answers. No. And sure enough, Piper answered, "Uh, we're not sure. We've already made plans for Sunday. But if they fall through . . . we might be available."  
  
"That's a no if I ever heard one," Olivia grumbled. Fortunately, only Cole overheard.  
  
But judging from Mrs. McNeill's expression, she did not have to hear her granddaughter. The hesitation in Piper's voice and the Halliwells' expressions seemed to have made their feelings about another Sunday brunch quite clear. "Well, if you ever find the time," the elderly woman continued with a cool smile, "let us know."  
  
The Halliwells said good-bye and immediately retreated to the door. Phoebe shot Cole a quick glance, before she followed the others out of the room. Once the door shut behind them, a sarcastic Bruce asked, "Any bets on whether or not we'll see them, next Sunday?"  
  
Harry piped up, "I'll place twenty bucks on NOT."  
  
Cole wondered if he should defend the Halliwells. He thought about it for a few seconds and realized it would be a waste of time. Especially since he doubted they would do the same for him.  
  
"I think all this talk about a new Source may have scared them, Elise," Gweneth commented. "Leo too, I shouldn't wonder."  
  
Elise McNeill snorted. "Well, they're not Jack and Penny Halliwell's granddaughters for nothing. I loved Penny like a sister, but she always did have this rigid sense of morality. Of course, in her case, she always had trouble practicing what she preached."  
  
Cole struggled to suppress a smile. And failed.  
  
* * * *   
  
The black Porsche slowly eased into its familiar spot inside the underground parking lot. Cole leaned forward and switched off the engine.  
  
"You know, you could have save some gas money by using your powers," Olivia commented laconically. "Instead of driving your car."  
  
Cole turned to her and smiled. "You ever heard of the term - 'boys with toys'? I was in the mood to drive, tonight. Helps me relax." He opened the car door on his side and climbed out. Then he walked over to the passenger side and helped Olivia out of the car. He noticed an aluminum-wrapped container in her hands. "Is that a piece of your mother's cake?"  
  
"Yep," Olivia replied. "Her six-layer Eggnog cake is my favorite. Although I wouldn't have minded a slice of Piper's cake." She stared at Cole's empty hands. "No cake for yourself?"  
  
Cole coughed slightly. "I had a piece of Eggnog cake before we left. And to be honest, I never was crazy about Coconut cake. You don't know how many times I've had to keep from spitting it up whenever Piper made one."  
  
The pair made their way across the parking lot and toward the elevator. "Then why didn't you just tell her?" Olivia asked.  
  
"Are you kidding? The last time I criticized Piper's cooking, she gave me a look that told me I should be grateful that the family tolerated me. After that, no more complaints."  
  
A knowing smile creased Olivia's lips. "In other words, you wimped out."  
  
"Hey! I didn't wimp out!" Cole growled. His growl merely hinted annoyance, not menace. And it only widened Olivia's smile even further.  
  
Oh c'mon Cole! It's not like I don't know what I'm talking about. When Richard and I were dating, he used to tiptoe around the family, all the time. He was afraid they would reject him, because of his past." Olivia paused, shaking her head. "Poor Richard. He really had a fear of rejection. And he eventually got on Dad's nerves. I told him to stop trying to prove himself, but he wouldn't listen. At first."  
  
A curious Cole asked, "Did he eventually stop?"  
  
"Yeah, but only after I had another talk with him." The elevator doors slid open. Both Cole and Olivia entered. The doors closed. "When I first told Richard," Olivia continued, "I don't think he was really listening. In fact, it got so bad, Dad and Bruce started calling him Dudley Do Right, behind his back."  
  
The nickname drew laughter from Cole.  
  
Olivia joined in his laughter. "Yeah, I know. Can you imagine a warlock with a nickname like that?"  
  
"No, I can't," Cole replied between guffaws.  
  
After their laughter subsided, Olivia immediately sobered. "But after one of Richard's urges to play hero nearly ended in disaster for Bruce and Harry, I had enough."  
  
Memories of his own decision to use the Hollow rushed back to Cole. He asked, "Did you break up with him? With Richard?"  
  
"No," Olivia said, shaking her head. "But I told him that I wasn't interested in him playing Sir Galahad. That I only wanted him. I also told him that if he wanted to help other people, fine. But he should do it because he wanted to and not to please me."  
  
The elevator reached Olivia's floor. Cole found himself brooding over her last words. Hell, he had been just as guilty of the same thing, as Richard Bannen. Fighting evil in order to save Phoebe and her sisters. And prove to them that he was no longer evil. He never realized how much he had grown weary of trying to be someone he was not.  
  
"Cole?" Olivia's voice snapped him out of his reverie. "Is something wrong?"  
  
He shook his head. "No, I was just thinking. Richard and I had a lot in common."  
  
"Oh. You tried to pull the Dudley Do Right routine also, huh? To impress Phoebe?"  
  
Cole sighed. "Yeah. And it worked for a while. Until I lost my powers. And the Source possessed me. It got even worse after I returned from the Wasteland. I guess the problem is being myself doesn't seem to help. Phoebe and her sisters . . . well, they're a little uncomfortable with my dark side."  
  
A frown creased Olivia's face, as she unlocked her apartment door. "They've got a lot more to worry about than your dark side. Like their own." The pair entered the apartment. Olivia placed her piece of cake on the kitchen table. Then she faced her neighbor. "Cole, may I ask you something?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Olivia took a deep breath. "You're still in love with Phoebe, aren't you?"  
  
Cole felt his face grow warm. "Well . . . yeah. Yeah, I'm still in love with her." He eyed Olivia warily. "Why?"  
  
"Because I think she's still in love with you," Olivia continued. "I saw the way she kept looking at you."  
  
Hope fluttered within Cole's heart. But only for a moment. For reasons he could not fathom, the love he felt toward Phoebe no longer burned brightly as it once did. He still loved her - somewhat - but his desperation for her love had dimmed. "I guess she does," he quietly replied.  
  
"But you don't seem very . . . I don't know, hopeful."  
  
Cole let out a gust of breath. "Look, don't get me wrong. I love Phoebe. I always will. But I can't be the man she wants. Not anymore. I guess after all that has happened, I'm tired of trying to live up to her ideals."   
  
Olivia's face almost matched her hair coloring. "Oh. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up the sub . . ."  
  
"No. I don't mind. I guess it was time I told someone how I felt." Cole gave Olivia a warm smile.  
  
A red brow cocked upward, as Olivia returned Cole's smile. "Glad to be of service." Then she glanced at the clock on the mantle. "Oh Lord! Look at the time! It's almost eleven-thirty."  
  
"I better get home. I have an early appointment, tomorrow morning."  
  
"Before you leave, I have something for you." Olivia raced back toward the kitchen. Seconds later, she returned to the living room, carrying a deep dish pan, covered by a sheet of foil.  
  
Cole glanced at the pan. "What is it?"  
  
"Floating Island." Olivia lifted the foil to reveal the dessert. "After what happened last Friday, I thought we would start all over again. So here, this is my 'thank you for saving my life' gift." She held out the pan.  
  
Unlike the first time, Cole took the dessert without hesitation. "Thank you, Miss McNeill," he said with playful formality. "And I hope it will taste a lot better, eating it from a plate or bowl than it did from my face."  
  
Hands on hips, Olivia shook her head as she smiled. "You know, you really are evil. Maybe that's why I like you so much."  
  
Cole gave his neighbor a winning smile, before he disappeared from her sight.  
  
  
THE END  
  
  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I realized that some of you wanted Cole to end up with Olivia McNeill or Phoebe. Since he and Phoebe became divorced in this story, I thought it was a bit too soon for him to end up in another romance. So I ended the story on a vague note. But don't worry. This is just the first of at least three stories featuring him, Olivia, the McNeills, Darryl Morris, Leo and the Halliwells. If you have any questions, please send me a message via june_daley@rocketmail.com. Thanks. 


End file.
